Ministry prepares report on coal demand and schedule of pit closures

Puls Biznesu has acquired a draft version of document which was sent to Deputy Economy and Labor Minister Marek Kosowski about forecast domestic demand for coal until 2020. Once the government accepts it later this month, decisions will be taken on how many and which mines to close. According to the draft, it turns out that until 2006 only one mine, Krupiński, would be closed. Another mine, Bytom II, will cease existing by the end of 2010, while a further three would be closed by 2015 and finally an additional seven would be shut by 2020. Experts have not named these 12 mines. "These are only proposals and for this reason I will not comment on them. We must wait for the final version and then we will express our opinion," said Minister Kosowski. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 4) M.M.