Here at Pearson Fuels, we believe that it is important to recognise the role that coal mining has played in the UK. After all, it boosted the economy considerably after the industrial revolution and was the backbone of the economy for decades following this. With the government claiming to shut down all coal mines in the UK by 2025, we have decided to go over a few interesting pieces of information about the industry…

The 18th century saw the start of deep shaft coal mining the UK, however, the industry peaked during the 20th century thanks to the industrial revolution. After all, this steel age lead to the development of trains and there were more factories than ever before in operation. All of these required one thing: coal. As a result, the economy boomed and coal quickly became the most in-demand fuel on the market.

Although it had an industrial reputation even in the late 19th century, coal was also particularly popular in residential homes for cooking and heating. After all, it has an excellent fuel efficiency which means that it can burn at incredibly hot temperatures for long periods of time. As a result, the coal mining industry developed even further as the fossil fuel started to become even more in-demand.

With this said, the closure of many mines in the 70s saw the start of the industries collapse. In fact, statistics show that the number of employed coal miners in the UK fell by staggering two million in just under a century between 1920 and 2015. This downfall is reinforced by the closure of the UK’s last deep coal mine in 2015 and the government’s aim to end coal mining completely by 2025. With this said, there is some light at the end of the tunnel as there are said to be plans to open many surface coal mines.

From Country Durham to Northumberland, it is easy to see that the coal mining industry still plays a very important role in the UK, especially when it comes to employment. Here at Pearson Fuels, we make it a priority to supply our clients with the highest quality bituminous coal on the market and we think that this dedication makes us the best coal merchants on the market. To find out more information about the history of coal mining the UK, get in contact with a member of the Pearson Fuels team today!