Achlada Coal Mine

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Achlada Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Florina, Meliti, Western Macedonia, Greece.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Achlada Coal Mine	Florina, Meliti, Western Macedonia, Greece	40.8604, 21.5996 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:

Loading map...

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Operating	–	1936	–

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.

Capacity (Mtpa)	Production (Mtpa)	Year of Production	Mine Type	Mining Method	Mine Size (km2)	Mine Depth (m)	Workforce Size
2	0.7	2023	Surface	Open Pit	79	50*	130

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
23	2023	–	West Macedonia	Lignite	Thermal	Florina (Meliti) Power Station

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Achlada Lignite Mines	Mytilineos Holdings SA	Greece

Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)

Note: The asterisk (*) indicates that the value is an estimated figure based on various factors, including the company's forecasted or reported monthly or quarterly production data, etc.

ROM or Saleable	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Saleable	–	1.33	1.42	0.65	–	–	0.7*

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September and December supplements.

Background

The Achlada Coal Mine is a surface mine in Meliti, Western Macedonia, Greece. The mine is owned by Achlada Lignite Mines, a privately-owned company.

The contract between the Greek State and the company was signed for the first time in December 1936, modified six times since then, the last one in December 2018, when it was extended until 31/12/2023, with the possibility of extension for 5 more years. In July 2022, it was reported that the company was bankrupt due to non-compliance with its contractual obligations and in particular due to non-payment of the due lease payments. The contract signed in 2018 included a condition according to which the lessee is obliged to maintain the production of lignite at a minimum of 2 Mtpa year throughout the term of this extension.

Production has declined from 2018, and the number of employees reduced from 700 in 2018 to 350 as of 2023. However the Russian assault on Ukraine gave a temporary reprieve to the mine.

In November 2022, it was reported that the Energy minister Kostas Skrekas revoked an older decision terminating the Greek State’s lease contract with Achlada Mining S.A. This decision was meant to enable the mine’s reopening and ensure the nearby Meliti lignite-fired power station (Florina (Meliti) Power Station) operates at full capacity amidst the energy crisis. Achlada Mining S.A. had its license terminated after failing to meet lease contract payments.

In April 2023, it was reported that the mine considerably increased its activity. While in the past there were issues with the liquidity of the lessee company and with disputes with the government, now there was an explosive increase in mining activity. The Mytilineios Group has entered as a strategic investor, which has strengthened the liquidity of the company and the mine expanded with the purchase of new land. As of April 2023, up to 80,000 tons (ca 1Mt annual equivalent) were mined per month, while the goal was to extract 150,000 tons of lignite per month. (1.8 Mt annual equivalent). At least 100 people were employed in mining as of April 2023 and it was expected that up to 200 people will work without including in these numbers the 130 administrative workers.

A new contract was signed at the end of 2023 to extend the lease until 2028. The company is obliged to maintain lignite production at a minimum of 750,000 tons per year (lower than 2 Mt previously). The total remaining reserves of 23 million tonnes are sufficient for the continued operation to supply the Florina (Meliti) Power Station.

In August 2024 it was reported that during 2023, the mine has complied with the extension granted in 2023, in particular the minimum production of 750,000 tons per year (unless prevented by unforeseen events beyond its control). The contract does not prohibit exports to other countries. In 2023 the mine exported 768,827 tons of lignite to the neighbouring North Macedonia at prices ranging from 28 to 30 euros per ton. A source from December 2024 stated that the coal supply to the Florina (Meliti) Power Station from the mine was interrupted and in the meantime the coal is exported to a neighbouring plant in North Macedonia.

Environmental Impact

The residents of the community of Achlada are outraged by the lack of measures to protect the health and life of the residents during the extraction of lignite and the Company's methods regarding the expropriations of settlements and the non-payment of compensation. The Government is aware of the non-payment of expropriations by the private company and simply ignores them. The community of Achlada is being destroyed, it is surrounded by lignite mines. The mine has reached the point of violating the minimum safety distance of 250 meters from the village and has reached 70 meters , according to complaints from residents.

Coal Phase-Out

In 2019, the Greek government aspired to phase out coal by 2023. Following lengthy debates, speculations and the pressure from the energy crisis, the official target date landed at 2028. According to state-controlled PPC’s recent reply within a parliamentary debate, the country will cease burning the solid fossil fuel in 2026. Without a specific statement or information for Achlada mine, no closing year was assumed, as per information available as of January 2025.

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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.