The clock is ticking on coal extraction at a major Fife opencast mine with operations due to cease by the end of next year.
County Durham-based Hargreaves Surface Mining Limited instantly became the dominant player in the sector north of the border after it moved to snap up the prime assets of administration hit Scottish Coal and ATH Resources last year.
The firm currently manages seven sites across Scotland and its workforce has grown to 500, 100 of which are based at St Ninian’s near Kelty and at Muir Dean near Crossgates in Fife.
The company yesterday said its growth trajectory over the past year showed there was still significant demand for coal in Scotland.
However, the bulk of its mining activities are based in the south west of the country and a spokesperson for the firm yesterday confirmed there were immediate no plans to develop new operational sites in Fife.
Muir Dean is the only HSML site in the region where coal extraction continues, but the company yesterday put a lifespan of just 18 months on the mining operation.
The focus of work at St Ninian’s is on restoring the site rather than mining from the seam.
A Hargreaves spokesperson yesterday said there was still a significant coal resource being tapped into at Muir Dean, with much of the site’s output going to the nearby coal-fire power station at Longannet.
However, he said restoration of parts of the Muir Dean site was currently underway and he said the mine itself had less than two years of working life left in it.
“At Muir Dean things are still progressing andf they have almost concluded the first phase of restoration at the site,” the spokesperson said.
“Coaling is obviously still going on and that is helping support the restoration.”
The spokesperson said an end to its mining operations in Fife did not also mean that workers jobs would automatically be coming to an end.
He said there were significant opportunities within the restoration side of the business and said the company was intent on continuing to grow north of the border.
Outside of Fife, the company has operations at Broken Cross in South Lanarkshire, Duncanziemere, Netherton and House of Water in East Ayrshire and Glenmuckloch in Dumfries and Galloway.
The company is also working through the planning process for a major new site in Midlothian.
Managing director Peter Gillatt said it had been a positive period for HMSL and the company intended to increase its workforce in Scotland in the months ahead rather than decrease it.
“Reaching 500 employees was a target we set ourselves as soon as we got involved in the coal industry in Scotland and to achieve this within 12 months is a great indication that there remains a substantial demand for coal, as well as our drive and determination to succeed,” Mr Gillatt said.
“Our aim now is simple, to continue building on this success and to create more jobs, contribute to local economies and provide opportunities within our supply chain to secure and develop further employment.”
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, who recently saw restoration in action during a visit to Glenmuckloch, welcomed the progress HMSL had made.
“I met with Hargreaves this time last year when the coal industry and a number of local communities were having to deal with considerable uncertainty and disappointment following the collapse of Scottish Coal and ATH Resources.
“At that meeting Hargreaves Surface Mining said that securing and creating jobs was a top priority in re-establishing the industry in Scotland and they haven’t disappointed and delivered on their promise, for which they deserve considerable praise.”
Coal: the facts
* Coal is used to generate 40% of Scotland’s energy supply
* The coal industry is worth £450m per year to the Scottish economy.
* Only 17m of 62m tonnes of coal burnt in Britain in 2012 was mined in the UK
* The UK coal industry directly supports 6,000 jobs
* Further 18,000 jobs supported in supply chain industries.