1313 As reported by the European Coal and Lignite Association (EURACOAL) in the Report Annual (2024) hard coal production in the European Union has been declining almost continuously since the 1990s, but much more than its consumption. In 2024, production of this type of coal amounted to 45.5 million tonnes, which is 84% less than the 277 million tonnes in 1990 and 8.8% less than in 2023. In 2024, hard coal production in the European Union could cover 42% of internal consumption, compared to 71% in 1990. The difference between production and consumption was largely offset by imports. In 1990, 13 countries of the present Union produced hard coal. In 2024, there are only two countries left: Poland and the Czech Republic, which produced 44 million tonnes (97% of total EU production) and 1.4 million tonnes (3%), respectively. End-stage hard coal production in Norway was 0.1 million tonnes. Compared to 2012, which was the last peak in hard coal production in the European Union (106 million tonnes) in 2024. 39% and 88% less coal was produced in Poland and in the Czech Republic (Fig. No. 3). Figure 3 - Hard coal production, lignite production and coal imports in Europe, 2024 Hard coal production in Norway ended in June 2025, while in the Czech Republic, it is in the phasingout phase and was permanently ended in January 2026. Poland remained the only hard coal-producing country in the European Union. According to data from the Statistical Yearbooks, there were 70 hard coal mines in Poland in 1990, and 416,000 people worked in mining. The record hard coal production was recorded in 1979 at 201 million tonnes. Currently, there are 19 hard coal mines in Poland, employing 71,500 workers, with operations carried out in 27 mines. In Poland, hard coal mining is carried out in 19 mines, of which 11 are high-methane mines (the highest level, IV, of methane hazard), 4 are low-methane mines, and the remaining 4 are non-methane mines. In 2024, 129 walls were in operation, of which 110 faces (85.3%) were in methane hazard conditions, including 65 faces in the IV highest category of this hazard and 19 faces (14.7%) in non-methane fields.
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