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UKRAINE GAS CRISIS -NUM PRESS RELEASE 03 JANAURY 2006
The gas crisis caused by the dispute between Russia and the Ukraine is bound to cause a major re-think in respect of this country?s future energy policy.
Over the past 15 years Britain has relied mainly on gas to fuel our power stations and generate our electricity.
The folly of the ?dash for gas? led to the closure of our coal mines as we squandered two of our national assets at the same time, gas by burning it in vast quantities in gas fired power stations when we could have used coal, saving our gas for domestic use, and coal itself by sterilising it underground in closed coalmines.
The NUM has continuously warned that by 2020 our gas reserves would be depleted and that we would be dependent on foreign imports for our energy requirements and wide open to supply disruption.
In a newspaper article in March of last year I warned that:
?By 2020 Britain will be 90 per cent dependent on gas for its energy needs, 70 per cent of which will have to be imported from politically unstable countries around the world such as Russia, Iran, Iraq and Algeria and transported through pipe lines wide open to terrorist attack.?
Less than one year after making that statement Russia has demonstrated the point in a far more telling way as supplies to the Ukraine were cut off as a result of a demanded price increase of more than 456 per cent.
Supplies to Hungary were reduced by 33 per cent and to France by 30 per cent. The implications for Britain are stark. We face an energy famine of monumental proportions unless we take action now to use the vast coal reserves with which this nation has been blessed.
Government complacency over the past 20 years and a political vindictiveness towards coal will inevitably cost the nation dear. One way or the other we are going to have to pay heavily for mistakes that have been made.
Gas prices are set to rocket and the gas and electricity consumer will have to pick up the tab. Any move towards nuclear power will prove extremely expensive and a long time in coming and will not keep gas cookers and gas central systems ticking, renewables are in no position whatsoever to take up the slack and accessing our coal reserves and re-training miners will come at a price and the longer we dally the more it will cost.
In a widely distributed publication in June 2004, in a response to a Government Energy White Paper the NUM warned:
?If electricity generation as well as domestic fuel supply is allowed to rely to heavily on gas, most of that gas will have to be imported. By the year 2020 import dependency will have risen to around 90%. Gas is particularly susceptible to disruption and is not easily stored. The possible physical disruption to supply is an issue, but there is a strong likelihood of gas price rises regardless of any political upheavals in countries of origin or transit.?
The Institute of Chemical Engineers pointed out in its response to the same Government White Paper consultation:
?The Energy Review was complacent about future gas supplies. It looked at the UK in isolation and overlooked the impact on process of Europe?s parallel growth in gas demand. Prices will inevitably rise because of the growing European dependence on gas supplies imported from far-flung countries. Major new infrastructure will be required, but even when this is installed, the UK will be vulnerable on the end of a complex international gas grid.?
Britain now has only 8 collieries left and one of those Rossington in Yorkshire is in the process of being closed while Harworth in Nottinghamshire has been ?mothballed? which effectively means closed because the miners are being dispersed or made redundant.
In the past 18 months Hatfield in Yorkshire has been closed regardless of its vast coal reserves, the Selby coalfield, once the jewel in the crown of our coal industry has been closed sterilising a hundred years of coal and Ellington in the North East was closed, using a minor water problem as the pretext, leaving vast untapped reserves.
The coal industry is in the hands of a private company - UK Coal - which openly admits that it is more interested in the property value than in mining coal and consequently is closing pits to cash in on the sale of the property.
This is no way to secure Britain?s long-term energy needs. We must develop once again our coal industry using the latest clean coal technologies now being developed in America, India, Australia and China.
Coal gasification can provide the answer to our impending gas crisis and relieve us of import dependency.
We must stop squandering our coal, our gas and our future energy security.
Steve Kemp
NUM National Secretary
3 January 2006
Contact:
Steve Kemp 01226 215555 ext 555
Or
Ken Capstick NUM Press Officer 01226 215555 ext 216
Over the past 15 years Britain has relied mainly on gas to fuel our power stations and generate our electricity.
The folly of the ?dash for gas? led to the closure of our coal mines as we squandered two of our national assets at the same time, gas by burning it in vast quantities in gas fired power stations when we could have used coal, saving our gas for domestic use, and coal itself by sterilising it underground in closed coalmines.
The NUM has continuously warned that by 2020 our gas reserves would be depleted and that we would be dependent on foreign imports for our energy requirements and wide open to supply disruption.
In a newspaper article in March of last year I warned that:
?By 2020 Britain will be 90 per cent dependent on gas for its energy needs, 70 per cent of which will have to be imported from politically unstable countries around the world such as Russia, Iran, Iraq and Algeria and transported through pipe lines wide open to terrorist attack.?
Less than one year after making that statement Russia has demonstrated the point in a far more telling way as supplies to the Ukraine were cut off as a result of a demanded price increase of more than 456 per cent.
Supplies to Hungary were reduced by 33 per cent and to France by 30 per cent. The implications for Britain are stark. We face an energy famine of monumental proportions unless we take action now to use the vast coal reserves with which this nation has been blessed.
Government complacency over the past 20 years and a political vindictiveness towards coal will inevitably cost the nation dear. One way or the other we are going to have to pay heavily for mistakes that have been made.
Gas prices are set to rocket and the gas and electricity consumer will have to pick up the tab. Any move towards nuclear power will prove extremely expensive and a long time in coming and will not keep gas cookers and gas central systems ticking, renewables are in no position whatsoever to take up the slack and accessing our coal reserves and re-training miners will come at a price and the longer we dally the more it will cost.
In a widely distributed publication in June 2004, in a response to a Government Energy White Paper the NUM warned:
?If electricity generation as well as domestic fuel supply is allowed to rely to heavily on gas, most of that gas will have to be imported. By the year 2020 import dependency will have risen to around 90%. Gas is particularly susceptible to disruption and is not easily stored. The possible physical disruption to supply is an issue, but there is a strong likelihood of gas price rises regardless of any political upheavals in countries of origin or transit.?
The Institute of Chemical Engineers pointed out in its response to the same Government White Paper consultation:
?The Energy Review was complacent about future gas supplies. It looked at the UK in isolation and overlooked the impact on process of Europe?s parallel growth in gas demand. Prices will inevitably rise because of the growing European dependence on gas supplies imported from far-flung countries. Major new infrastructure will be required, but even when this is installed, the UK will be vulnerable on the end of a complex international gas grid.?
Britain now has only 8 collieries left and one of those Rossington in Yorkshire is in the process of being closed while Harworth in Nottinghamshire has been ?mothballed? which effectively means closed because the miners are being dispersed or made redundant.
In the past 18 months Hatfield in Yorkshire has been closed regardless of its vast coal reserves, the Selby coalfield, once the jewel in the crown of our coal industry has been closed sterilising a hundred years of coal and Ellington in the North East was closed, using a minor water problem as the pretext, leaving vast untapped reserves.
The coal industry is in the hands of a private company - UK Coal - which openly admits that it is more interested in the property value than in mining coal and consequently is closing pits to cash in on the sale of the property.
This is no way to secure Britain?s long-term energy needs. We must develop once again our coal industry using the latest clean coal technologies now being developed in America, India, Australia and China.
Coal gasification can provide the answer to our impending gas crisis and relieve us of import dependency.
We must stop squandering our coal, our gas and our future energy security.
Steve Kemp
NUM National Secretary
3 January 2006
Contact:
Steve Kemp 01226 215555 ext 555
Or
Ken Capstick NUM Press Officer 01226 215555 ext 216
Industrial Action
The National Union of Mineworkers expresses its support for fellow trade unionists in the Public Sector who today are having to resort to withdrawing their labour (a fundamental right of any worker) and take strike action against these unfair cuts to their pensions and terms and conditions.
T
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Funeral of Gerry Gibson
It is with deep regret that the NUM (Yorkshire Area) announce the Funeral Service details for Gerry Gibson who tragically lost his life at Kellingley Colliery on Tuesday 27th September 2011.The Service in dedication to Gerry a much respected member,work mate & fellow miner will be held in
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Statement from Gerry's Family
We are all truly devastated by Gerry's sudden and tragic death.
We would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in attempts to rescue Gerry - all work colleagues; Kellingley rescue team; the air ambulance team and all other medics who were on site. Their tireless efforts were not i
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Fatality at Kellingley Colliery
it is with deep regret that the national union of mineworkers has to confirm that as a result of a tragic accident at kellingley colliery one of our members has lost his life.
the whole workforce at the colliery are devastated at the loss of a friend and colleague as a result of a roof fall on 502s
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