Aberpergwm Coal Mine
From Global Energy Monitor
| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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Aberpergwm Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Glynneath, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, United Kingdom.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Aberpergwm Coal Mine | Glynneath, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, United Kingdom[1][2] | 51.740824, -3.644329 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[3] | – | 1811[4] | 2039 (planned)[5] |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.1[6][7][8][9] | 2024[6][7][8][9] | Underground[3] | Bord and Pillar[3] | – | 494.0* | 263.0[10] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | Anthracite[3] | Thermal & Met[11] | Steel Plant[1] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Energybuild Ltd[3] | Pergwm Holdings Ltd | UK |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[12] | 0*[13] | – | – | – | – | – | 0.08[12] | 0.1[6][7][8][9] | – |
Expansion/Extension
Table 7: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed | Permitted[14] | Expansion | – | 0.35 | – |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Aberpergwm Coal Mine is an underground coal mine owned and operated by Energybuild in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, United Kingdom.[15][16]
In January 2022, an expansion to mine an additional 40 million tonnes of coal over the next 20 years was approved, however, environmentalists are currently pursuing legal action against its operation.[17][18] It is unclear if the mine is currently operating. The site at Aberpergwm has been worked since 1811 as a series of drift mines, but full commercial working didn't begin sometime in the 1860s. In 1996, the mine was reopened by local investors Anthracite Mining Ltd; they were, in turn, bought out by UK-based Energybuild in 2011.
Energybuild was granted a conditional mining license in 2016 to extract up to 40 million tonnes of over the 20 years.[19] According to reports, the company claimed it would mine 7.3 million tonnes over the life of the mine, at a rate of about 350,000 tonnes a year.[20]
Environmental Opposition
In March 2023, the Coal Action Network brought a judicial review against the Welsh Government and UK Coal Authority, asking for the mining license to be revoked because the Welsh government's carbon reduction targets weren't sufficiently considered when granting the license.[21] However, it was ruled that both authorities acted within the law.[18] In it's own defense, a spokesperson from the Welsh government adds that although the government remains committed to the climate crisis, they do not have the powers to make a decision in the case of Aberpergwm as this license pre-dates their powers on coal licensing.[22]
The Coal Action Network appealed the decision in May 2023. In February 2024, the High Court decided against Coal Action Network and voted against their appeal.[23]
- Operator: Energybuild[15]
- Owner: Energybuild[15]
- Location: Neath Port Talbot, Wales County, United Kingdom
- Coordinates: 51.7408, -3.6443 (exact)
- Mine Status: Operating
- Start Year: 1811[24]
- Production Capacity (Mtpa): 0.23
- Total Reserves (Mt):
- Coal Type: Anthracite[15]
- Mine Type: Underground[15]
- Mine Size (Km2):
- Workforce Size:
- Source of Financing:
Expansion Details
- Status: Approved
- Capacity: 2 million tonnes per annum[17] or 0.35 mtpa[20]
- Start Year: TBD
- Employment: 160[20]
Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources
Global Energy Monitor researchers have identified coal mine boundary/boundaries and potential sources of coal mine methane (CMM) for this mine. These research results can be used to drive CMM attribution and mitigation efforts, particularly when combined with remotely sensed methane plume locations and mine ownership data. Explore the results with the embedded map at the top of this page by clicking on the mine boundary polygon or the CMM placemarkers to reveal more details. A detailed description of this research can be found in Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources. This data is also available as a downloadable companion dataset to the Global Coal Mine Tracker and the Global Methane Emitters Tracker.
Table SMP1: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data
| ID | Mine feature category | Mine feature subcategory | Description | Coordinates precision | Data source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1592.B1 | mine boundary | underground | Aberpergwm underground mine licensed area boundary | extracted | 2025-04-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P1 | other | adit or drift | return drift | reported | 2019-12-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P2 | other | adit or drift | Pwllfaron drift (intake) | reported | 2019-12-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P3 | ventilation system | shaft | fanhouse substation and cable duct building | reported | 2019-12-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P4 | ventilation system | shaft | approximate possible new fanhouse location | estimated | 2019-12-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P5 | ventilation system | shaft | old abandoned fanhouse | extracted | 2021-07-01 00:00:00 |
| M1592.P6 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 3 Craig Y Forest Colliery drift and adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P7 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 2 Nant-y-Mynydd Colliery adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P8 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of Bryndulais Colliery No.2 Return Drift and two adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P9 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 2 adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P10 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of approximately 10 adits and 4 shafts | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P11 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of an adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P12 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of Dilwyn drift of No. 2 drift | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P13 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of an adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P14 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of Henllan drift, shaft and adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P15 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 4 Coed Du Mine adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P16 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of an adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P17 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of Old Cyrant Colliery no. 5 adit, 5 other adits and a shaft | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P18 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 3 adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P19 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of an adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P20 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of an adit | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P21 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of Llwynoun Lower Pinchin return and 4 adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P22 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of 4 adits | estimated | None given |
| M1592.P23 | other | adit or drift | approximate location of approximately 25 adits | estimated | None given |
Table SMP2: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data (continued)
| ID | Notes |
|---|---|
| M1592.B1 | The agreement THE COAL AUTHORITY AND ENERGYBUILD MINING LIMITED Aberpergwm Colliery, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66c84ea0d36b5c32dbdf9805/Aberpergwm_Agreement_and_Notice_2024_Documents.pdf, August 21 2024, between the Coal Authority and mine operators, EnergyBuild Mining Ltd describes the mining license and seam mining areas. Page 1 of the plans in https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66c73a65f86d967e6161820e/Aberpergwm_Agreement_and_Notice_Plans_2024.pdf shows the boundary encompassing all of the licensed seam mining areas. The license boundary is also found in the License Area layer of the Coal Mining section of the Mining Remediation Authority Map Viewer at https://web.archive.org/web/20250416191408/https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/39bb823f1bf44b51b992019a3aaeac60/page/Coal-Mining#data_s=id%3AdataSource_19-195d867b53a-layer-32%3A1340. Three overlapping licensed areas are shown, only one with a site name of Aberpergwm (Licence Reference: DM/95/0025/C, Licence Type: Underground, Status: Current, Site Name: Aberpergwm GLOBALID A7AFD5EF-B0F4-421D-B5C2-24B3F326105B. Given the August 21 2024 date of the license agreement, it's assumed that this boundary includes all recent expansion plans. The area of this boundary is approx 2,700 hectares, or 27 sq km. |
| M1592.P1 | https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://publicregister.naturalresources.wales/Search/Results?SearchTerm=29501 PAN-008496 - Aberpergwm Colliery site water Abstraction and Discharge Locations-A0_1-1000, contains a diagram of the buildings at the mine and some drifts, including this return drift. |
| M1592.P2 | https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://publicregister.naturalresources.wales/Search/Results?SearchTerm=29501 PAN-008496 - Aberpergwm Colliery site water Abstraction and Discharge Locations-A0_1-1000, contains a diagram of the buildings at the mine and some drifts, including this intake drift. |
| M1592.P3 | https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://publicregister.naturalresources.wales/Search/Results?SearchTerm=29501 PAN-008496 - Aberpergwm Colliery site water Abstraction and Discharge Locations-A0_1-1000, contains a diagram of the buildings at the mine and some drifts. This building possibly contains a mine ventilation system. |
| M1592.P4 | https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://publicregister.naturalresources.wales/Search/Results?SearchTerm=29501 PAN-008496 - Aberpergwm Colliery site water Abstraction and Discharge Locations-A0_1-1000, contains a diagram of the buildings including this new fanhouse location which was not visible from satellite imagery, so its approximate and possible. |
| M1592.P5 | Some fanhouse pics can be found at https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://buddlepit.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/pentreclwydau-colliery-drifts.134/ |
| M1592.P6 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P7 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P8 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P9 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P10 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P11 | Extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P12 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P13 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P14 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P15 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P16 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P17 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P18 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P19 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P20 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P21 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery.
The source date is not given so assuming these are up to date. |
| M1592.P22 | Estimated location extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
| M1592.P23 | Extracted using the Mine Entry layer of the The Coal Authority - Interactive Viewer - Coal Mining - Map, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250417141926/https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8d78e1f919f447da8ab7b2e90dd0d02d, for the License Area of Aberpergwm or Aberpergwm Colliery. |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1rp7399q8o;15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x486e443d651bb14b:0x641d214ab5dfbd3b!8m2!3d51.7406539!4d-3.644478!16s%2Fg%2F1q6n2_p5c?entry=ttu.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aberpergum+Mine/@51.7406539;-3.644478.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://www.energybuild.co.uk/operations/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberpergwm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.coalaction.org.uk/2025/01/06/exposed-company-makes-misleading-claims/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2024/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-january-to-march-2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2024/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-april-to-june-2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2024/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-received-by-the-coal-authority-july-to-september-2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-2024/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-from-october-to-december-2024#total-for-the-uk.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-2025/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-from-july-to-september-2025.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/18/not-the-future-we-should-be-going-for-the-reopening-of-waless-aberpergwm-coalmine.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/08062015/the-future-of-aberpergwm-mine-in-uncertainty-2384/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coal-mining-licence-applications/coal-mining-licence-applications.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 "Operations", Energybuild website, Accessed October 2023.
- ↑ Stacy Irish, "USA's Walter Energy restarts production at UK met coal mine," Fastmarkets, 2 January 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Aberpergwm colliery given go-ahead to mine 40 million tonnes despite Welsh Government disapproval, Wales Online, January 27, 2022
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Hope alive for Aberpergwm with appeal acceptance", Coal Action Network, 17 August 2023.
- ↑ Re: Aberpergwm Colliery; License for expansion of existing mine, Richard Buxton Solicitors, 2 March 2022.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Tommy Greene, Wales coalmine extension may soon be approved despite Cop26 pledges, Guardian, December 24, 2021
- ↑ "Campaigners lose bid to halt coal mine expansion", BBC News, 19 May 2023.
- ↑ Sandra Laville,"Not the future we should be going for: the reopening of Wales’s Aberpergwm coalmine", The Guardian, 18 March 2022.
- ↑ "Campaign to stop Aberpergwm - the story so far," Coal Action Network, April 7, 2024
- ↑ "Aberpergwm", Wikipedia, Accessed October 2023.
