The UK government is making the final decision on approval for a new coal mine in Cumbria UK. Few people have an intuitive feel for what’s at stake. We thought it would be useful to have another view of the coal that will be produced over fifty years, and the carbon dioxide that will be added to the atmosphere when it burns. The film doesn’t comment on the quantities, it simply shows how much there will be if the mine goes ahead.
The mine will produce nearly 3 million tonnes of coking coal every year for 50 years*. Coking coal (also known as metallurgical coal) is used in steel production, though forward-thinking steel producers are already scaling up climate friendly steelworks powered by hydrogen produced with clean electricity.
While steel remains a much-used material in many infrastructure projects, it does not have to be produced using coal at all. Coking coal can also be replaced with natural gas in a process called Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) which creates about 40% less CO₂ emissions. Natural gas based DRI already accounts for 5% of global steel making.
Steel making techniques are developing quickly, driven by the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The steel industry accounts for around 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, so there is a lot at stake. As early as 2026, fossil fuel free steel production will begin in Sweden . The production of ‘green’ hydrogen, produced entirely from surplus renewable electricity, is being actively pursued worldwide.
This animation and images have been created using Real World Visuals new in-house production techniques which enable fast and economical production of high-quality visual representation of any invisible environmental challenge.
High resolution still images, with a Creative Commons (Attribution) license are available for download from the Real World Visuals Flickr pages.
Notes:
* At the time we made this animation the mainstream news outlets all reported that the mine would operate for 50 years. It has been pointed out to us by the Coal Action Network that the coal mine will not run for 50 years, but will shut by 2049 - with the application submitted in 2019. At earliest the coal mine would start 2025. So that's 24 years. The correct calculations made by CAN are here. We apologise for this unintentional error. If any one or any organisation has some spare budget we could remake the animation..
These are the original calculations based on 50 years operation:
Annual production of coal from Woodhouse Colliery, Cumbria: 2,780,000 tonnes
Page 8, Part 2 Chapter 19 (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Planning Application
Mine production lifetime: 50 years
Total coal (50 x 2,780,000): 139,000,000 tonnes
Coking coal bulk density: 833 kg.m⁻³ (typical value for bituminous coal)
Total volume of coal (1000*mass/density): 166,866,747 m³
Coking coal conversion coefficient: 3,222.04 kgCO₂e.t⁻¹
Greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors 2020
Total mass of CO₂: 447,663,560 CO₂e
Density of CO₂ at 15 °C and 1 atm (101,325 Pa): 1.8714 kg.m⁻³
Diameter of a 1 tonne sphere of carbon dioxide gas: 10,068 mm
Packing density of random spheres: 0.64
Volume of spheres (including spaces in between): 373,937,593,513 m³ (374 km³)
Households in UK in 2018: 27,576,000
Office for National Statistics, 2020, Families and Households
Emissions classified as ‘domestic’ in 2018: 96,430 ktCO₂
UK local authority and regional carbon dioxide emissions national statistics: 2005-2018
Domestic emissions per household in 2018: 3,497 kgCO₂ per annum (days per tonne: 104)