On BBC» Wales nmade from coal.ews one mine in Glyneath South wales been given a new licence to dig coal to supply port Talbot steel works
I am glad to hear of this, which may surprise some people in view of my well known concerns about climate change and fossil fuel usage.
There is no readily available* way to produce iron and steel without* coke made from coal.
Iron and steel are essential materials for a modern society, or indeed even for a Victorian society. Steel is used to build railways, ships, modern buildings, bridges, and almost all modern machinery. In the event of war, iron and steel are vital for the manufacture of weapons.
I see no merit in importing coal or steel works coke , nor in importing ready made iron and steel., probably from china.
China has an appalling record on human rights, and on the environment. I see no merit in becoming reliant in imports of such strategic materials.
Retaining iron and steel manufacture within the
UK▸ , including the supply of fuel used in this manufacture is in my view a matter of national security.
* Iron and steel CAN be made by the use of charcoal, obtained from trees, this was done centuries ago, but is completely unsuitable for large scale manufacture. I have heard, but can not substantiate, that one thousand tons of trees are needed to make one ton of iron.
Iron and steel can also be made in a furnace fueled by hydrogen and oxygen, these gases can be obtained from water by renewably generated electricity. This process shows some promise for the future, but wont help for this years and next years iron and steel requirements. A little coke or perhaps charcoal is still needed, but very little.
The need for new iron and steel can be reduced by recycling of already existing and now redundant material, but some new manufacture will still be needed.
So reluctantly I support UK coal mining for strategically important purposes, but NOT for general use.
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