A judicial review challenge has been withdrawn against plans for a new £165 million coal mine, mainly in the seabed off Whitehaven in West Cumbria.
West Cumbria Mining (WCM) plans to produce “between two and three million tonnes of high quality, specialist, hard metallurgical coal per annum” at Woodhouse Colliery to supply the steel industry across Europe.
The company is financially backed by Australian investment firm EMR Capital Resources which by the end of 2019 had invested more than £29 million in the proposal.
The judicial review was lodged by Marianne Bennett of the Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole group on 18 May against Cumbria County Council with WCM named as an interested party.
A statement from WCM read: “During a preliminary directions hearing at the High Court as it was highly likely that the claim would have been dismissed if the Claimant had sought to proceed with the action.
“WCM now looks forward to progressing its plans at this important time with so much economic uncertainty across the UK.
“The longer the WCM project is delayed then the more metallurgical coal will be imported from the USA and around the world to supply British and European steelmakers.
“The emissions from this transportation are considerable and have been acknowledged by ministers in Parliament. WCM continues to receive strong support from the local community and wider stakeholders.”
WCM first submitted its planning application in May 2017 and received approval in October 2019.
The company has since reviewed the design of the coal processing plant in order to minimise or eliminate the by-product or middlings coal material, and is now waiting for consideration by the council.
Metallurgical coal, or coking coal, is burned at high temperatures for iron and steel making. The world’s main producers and exporters are Australia, Canada and the United States.
WCM holds a series of licences covering some 200 km2 off the coast of Whitehaven which it believes holds more than 750 million tonnes of steel-making coal resources.
The company added that the mine would be at a low level, buried or visually screened to minimise its impact. Coal would be processed in a plant which is a ‘building within a building’ to reduce noise, dust and light. The preparation plant would include covered storage of coal from the mine and coal product after washing.
WCM chief executive Mark Kirkbride is a former underground coal mining engineer with more than 26 years’ experience in managing mining and civil projects.
He leads a team of geologists, mining engineers, environmental advisors, project managers and business support staff, and is also a member of the West Cumbria Mining Board.