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Key facts: illegal Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine expansion

Find out more about how the Ffos-y-fran coal mine has managed to illegally siphon coal out for 16 months without being stopped.

Key facts & figures for 16 months of illegal coal mining

06 September 2022 - 08 January 2024

Coal sold: 64o,000 tonnes (company-reported volumes published in official Coal Authority statistics)

CO2 from coal use: 2.02 million tonnes of CO2 (2022 BEIS Conversion Factors)

Methane from the mine itself: 2,900 tonnes (Global Energy Monitor)

CO2e from the mine itself: 931,000 tonnes in 2021 (reported by the company on p4 (7) for machinery, electricity, and gas combustion)

Coal operator: Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd – formerly Miller Argent Holdings Limited, subsidiary of Merthyr Holdings Limited – which is owned by Gwent Investments Limited

Parent company: Gwent Holdings Limited, owned by Mrs J H Lewis

Type: Thermal coal, some of which is ‘upgraded’ to be sold to steelworks

Mining method: Opencast

Claimed destination: steelworks, domestic heating, cement production etc.

Local Planning Authority: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Address: Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme, East Of Merthyr Tydfil CF48 4AE

Time: 15 years, then a further 16 months illegally

Published: 17/08/2022 Updated: 25/01/2024

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Ellen Fitzsimons
Ellen Fitzsimons
1 year ago

Profit over people and planet, DISGUSTING! What can we do?

Anne
Admin
1 year ago

This week we’re asking people to write an objection to the council. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/rule-out-expanding-ffos-y-fran-opencast-coal-mine Thanks

maldwyn James
maldwyn James
1 year ago

Should never have been taken away from N C B /British coal and it would have been finished years ago and put back to what the people wanted just have to look at Bryn Parc and Blaenavon lakes,but this has been handled so badly by the owners and council’and i worked on this site and at Cwmbargoed for 25 years leaves a bitter taste in my mouth how this is going to be left

phillip clyant
phillip clyant
1 year ago

MILLER ARE COW BOYSAHAH

Jacqueline Jones
Jacqueline Jones
24 days ago

I have heard, from a business source in Merthyr Tydfil, that they are now using waste to landscape the site. They are allegedly operating out of licence. I would be interested to find if this information is corroborated.

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