An employee-owned British coal mine has been forced to close with the loss of 430 jobs, following a plunge in coal prices and the switch to renewable energy sources, a spokesman told AFP on Tuesday. The Hatfield Colliery in Yorkshire, northern England, which opened in 1916, was one of only three deep coal mines remaining in operation in England. Workers were told the news on Monday and operations will be gradually shut down over the next month.
The government had given it a £20 million (28 million euro, $31 million) subsidy to stay open until 2016. But mine spokesman Michael O'Sullivan said "market conditions" made continued operations impractical. "A perfect storm worked against Hatfield, because in addition of the coal prices falling through the floor, at the same time gas prices have been at their lowest for many years, which allowed the switch to renewables," he said.