The German city of Zitau could be underground due to Poland's decision to develop coal mining, including in Turov, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported, citing media reports.
The Turov mine, located on the border with Germany and the Czech Republic and Poland, has an annual coal production of 27 million tonnes. Poland, unlike Germany, cannot afford the so-called called the transition to green energy from a purely financial point of view. "After all, the country is the absolute leader in the European Union in coal mining. In 2020, local miners extracted 56 million tons of coal, which is 96% of all European production, "the publication notes.
Workers in the coal mining companies, including the Polish Mining Group (PGG), are organizing large-scale protests demanding a clear program for the development of the country's coal industry and higher wages for their processing.
At the same time, Warsaw rejects the demands of Prague and Berlin for the decarbonisation of the energy sector, despite the fact that it supports similar initiatives coming from other countries. In particular, in March 2020, coal production at Turov was extended to 2044, sparking protests in the Czech Republic and Germany.
According to geologists, the ongoing development of the mine will lead to dangerous changes in the local geological structure. German cities could suffer as Zitau sinks. At the same time, Brussels has asked Poland to pay 500,000 euros a day for refusing to close Turov. Berlin added that if the mine continues to function, then irreversible changes in the geological structure of the region could occur.
The protests are aimed at making certain decisions by Warsaw. The miners are urging the authorities to meet with them, otherwise fuel supplies will be suspended, which will provoke an energy collapse in the country.
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