THE future of Welsh steam coal is now in doubt after an application to extend the life of the Ffos-y-Fran opencast mine near Merthyr Tydfil until March 31, 2024 was turned down by members of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s planning committee on April 26.
Mine operator Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd argued that permitting mining to continue would allow for the remaining 240,000 tonnes of coal to be extracted with the main market being Tata Steel at Port Talbot but that it is also used by a variety of smaller markets, including heritage railways. The majority (95%) of the
