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Karvina Coal Mines (Důl Karviná) is an operating coal mine in Silesian, Czech Republic.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Karvina Coal Mines | Silesian, Czech Republic | 49.81706578, 18.54849501 (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 | – | 1950 | 2026 (planned)[1][2] |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 1.2[3] | 2024[3] | Underground | Mixed[4] | 134.0[4] | 1300.0[5] | 3300[2][6] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.5[7] | 2020[7] | – | Ostrava-Karvina Basin | Bituminous[4] | Thermal & Met[5][3] | Detmarovice power station[8] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| OKD AS [100%] | PRISKO AS [100.0%] | Czech Republic |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saleable | 5.47[9] | 4.47[10] | 3.6[11] | 2.2[11][12] | 2.2[13] | 1.81[8] | 1.37[14] |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2025 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Karvina coal mines are a cluster of closed underground mine operations owned by Ostravsko-Karvinské Doly (OKD a.s.) in eastern Silesia, Czech Republic.[15] The mine was fully closed in February 2026.[16]
The mine cluster originally included eight sites—ČSA (Czech Army Mine), Lazy, Darkov, ČSM-North, ČSM-South, Staříč, Chlebovice, and Frenštát—however, only the ČSM mines were active as of 2023.[17]
In 2005, Karbon Invest A.S. bought out the state's share and became the main shareholder. In the very same year, RPG Industries, Ltd. based in Cyprus acquired a majority share in Karbon Invest. RPG Industries, Ltd is owned by a group of international institutional and private investors led by the Czech financier Zdeněk Bakala.[18] Following the bankruptcy process in 2016, part of OKD was transferred to a subsidiary, OKD Nástupnická, which was then bought by the state-owned financial holding company PRISKO under the Czech Ministry of Finance in 2018.[19]
OKD is the only producer of bituminous coal in the Czech Republic. Karvina mines are located within the Ostrava-Karviná coal basin, which in turn is in the southern part of the Upper-Silesian basin.[20] About half of the hard-coal production is used for coke in the iron and steel industry; some hard coal is also used in co-generation plants and for district heating in the eastern parts of the country where it is mined.[19] As of 2023, OKD’s current key customers included the Detmarovice power station.[21]
All Karvina mines are deep mines and coal is exploited using shafts. Deep mining is carried out under intricate geological conditions in a series of strata reaching many hundreds of meters deep.[22]
OKD's mining activities in Karvina are divided into several mining operations:[22]
Mining Operation 1
This includes the now-closed mining sites ČSA in Karvina (operations closed in 2021), Darkov mine (closed in 2021), and Lazy mine (reported closed in 2019, but operations continued until 2020).[19] (OKD's ČSA underground mine site is not to be confused with the closed ČSA surface lignite mine owned by Sev.en Energy in the North Bohemian Basin region.) In September 2020, OKD announced that it would permanently close the Darkov and the ČSA mines at the end of February 2021.[19][23]
Mining Operation 2
Includes the now closed ČSM North and ČSM South, both located in the eastern part of the Karviná coal district.[22] As of March 2021, only the ČSM mine was left in operation, expected to be closed in 2023. ČSM mine was planned to be closed in 2023, but the company envisaged to continue mining until 2025.[24][25][26] In 2024, OKD extracted 1.2 million tonnes from the two locations of the ČSM mine[27], while in 2025 the mine output was estimated at 1.1 million tonnes.[28] In February 2026, the ČSM mine was closed, marking the end of nearly 250 years of hard coal extraction in the country.[29]
Operation-in-Closure South
This OKD mining operation included the now-closed Staříč and Chlebovice mining sites.[22] Up until their closure in March 2017, they were the only active mines in Ostrava mining district.[30]
Frenštát Mine
A proposed expansion site, Frenštát in the Karvina mine area was mothballed and eventually closed in 2020.[22]
Bankruptcy and Renationalisation
OKD filed for bankruptcy in May 2016. Low international metallurgical/coking prices made OKD’s operations unprofitable. The financially healthy part of OKD was transferred to a subsidiary, OKD Nástupnická, which was then bought by the state-owned financial holding company PRISKO under the Czech Ministry of Finance in 2018.[19] OKD submitted a comprehensive restructuring strategy to the regional court in Ostrava in 2017, announcing plans to cease all mining operations by 2023.[19]
2018 Explosion
In 2018, an explosion in the Karvina coal mine killed 13 people.[31] Methane levels were 4.5 times the allowable level in the OKD mine at the time of the explosion, according to Bohuslav Machek, spokesman for the Czech mining authority.[32]
ČSM Mine Closure Delayed (Closed in Early 2026)
In June 2022, OKD stated that it would end operations by the end of 2023. Extension of production beyond 2023 was mentioned as a possibility.[33]
At the end of 2022, the state-owned OKD announced that it wanted to keep mining at the ČSM mine until 2030. It planned to mine an average of 1.1 million tonnes of coal per year, with a maximum of 1.8 million tonnes. The permit was valid until the end of 2026, the management of the company has requested an assessment of the impact of the planned mining on the environment (EIA process) until 2029. After the end of mining, there will be a maximum four-year period of rehabilitation of the mine.[21] However other sources around the same time and later stated that mining should cease already in 2025.[24][25][26]
Furthermore, considerations arose as to whether it would be worthwhile to resume mining in the recently shut down mines in Karvinska. The state enterprise DIAMO, which took over the shut down mines, found that resuming of mining at the ČSA and Darkov Mines is possible, but may not be economical or timely.[21]
As per reporting in January 2025, mining will be terminated after the last faces are mined in the first quarter of 2026. This will be followed by technical liquidation of the mine, which will last approximately three years. All costs related to the termination of mining will be covered by the company from its own funds. OKD will spend 4.7 billion crowns on technical liquidation and the agreed social program.[34][35]
The mine was closed in February 2026.[36]
Post-mining Redevelopment Plans
Following the closure of the last operating deep coal mine in the Czech Republic, redevelopment plans for the site focus on transforming the former mining area into a hub for low-carbon industries. Proposed projects include the construction of renewable energy facilities, large-scale energy storage systems, and a data processing center that would take advantage of the site’s existing energy infrastructure. The transition is intended to support the region’s economic shift away from coal mining while enabling new industrial uses of the former mining area. [37]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M0449.B2 | mine boundary | underground | Karvina coal mines (active) boundary | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P1 | ventilation system | vent | Ventilation shafts (ČSM South) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P2 | other | mine entrance or exit | Possible mine entrance or shaft (ČSM South) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P3 | ventilation system | vent | Possible vents (ČSM South) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P4 | other | preparation plant | Coal handling and preparation plant (ČSM North) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P5 | degasification system | drainage station | Degassing station (ČSM North) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P6 | other | mine entrance or exit | Mine entrance (ČSM North) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
| M0449.P7 | degasification system | combined heat and power plant | Combined heat and power plant (ČSM North) | extracted | 2025-06-17 00:00:00 |
Table SMP2: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data (continued)
| ID | Notes |
|---|---|
| M0449.B2 | The boundaries of mines in the Karvina coal basin were identified in Figure 1 in Holub, Karel & Rušajová, Jana. (2015). Regularity of particle velocity decrease with scaled distance for rockbursts and shot holes. Acta Montanistica Slovaca. 20. 80-85. 10.3390/ams20020080, September 2015 on the Ostrava-Karviná Coal Basin (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-map-of-boundaries-of-coal-basins-and-demarcations-of-mines-in-the-OKCB-1_fig1_283801856). The diagram was overlayed in Google Earth Pro satellite imagery and boundary polygons were extracted. As many of the individual mines in the Karvina cluster were merged or closed since their original designations, the polygons of the relevant boundaries for only the active ČSM mines were derived from the individual mine boundaries, excluding the following mines, which are considered separate and now closed (i.e., no longer in operation): Lazy coal mine, ČSA coal mine, 9 Kveten coal mine, and extensions to the former Darkov coal mine. The area of this mine boundary polygon is approximately 28 sq km. |
| M0449.P1 | The two ventilation shafts at the ČSM mine were identified via visual analysis of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0449.P2 | This possible mine entrance or access shaft to the ČSM mine was identified using Google Maps public data and photographic imagery (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.google.com/maps/place/D%C5%AFl+%C4%8CSM+-+jih/@49.8030558,18.5555584,236m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4714019b2af7822b:0xa62afa4a17e4da2d!8m2!3d49.803235!4d18.5552181!16s%2Fg%2F11q2rz4djk?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D), and confirmed with visual analysis of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0449.P3 | These possible vents within the boundaries of the ČSM mine were identified via visual analysis of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0449.P4 | This coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) was identified via OKD's virtual 3D map of the ČSM North coal mine facility (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.okd.cz/virtual-tour/index.html). The asset's exact location and coordinates were then visually confirmed and extracted in Google Earth Pro. |
| M0449.P5 | This degassification station was identified via OKD's virtual 3D map of the ČSM North coal mine facility (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.okd.cz/virtual-tour/index.html). The asset's exact location and coordinates were then visually confirmed and extracted in Google Earth Pro. |
| M0449.P6 | This mine entrance was identified via OKD's virtual 3D map of the ČSM North coal mine facility (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.okd.cz/virtual-tour/index.html). The asset's exact location and coordinates were then visually confirmed and extracted in Google Earth Pro. |
| M0449.P7 | This combined heat and power station was first identified via OKD's virtual 3D map of the ČSM North coal mine facility as a heat plant (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.okd.cz/virtual-tour/index.html). The CHP unit was confirmed to produce both heat and electricity in a 2022 OKD report (https://web.archive.org/save/https://portal.cenia.cz/eiasea/download/RUlBX01aUDUxNl9vem5hbWVuaURPQ18yMzU2MjU0ODQ3MDc1OTg0Mzc5LnBkZg/MZP516_oznameni.pdf) The asset's exact location and coordinates were then visually confirmed and extracted in Google Earth Pro. |
Associated Coal Mine Methane Mitigation Projects
Some coal mines have installed infrastructure which can use and/or destroy some methane emissions associated with mining. In 2024, the Global Methane Initiative reported that this mine had a mitigation project associated with it. This methodology page describes how GEM classified these projects and linked them with coal mines in the Global Coal Mine Tracker.
Table MM1: Methane mitigation projects
| Mitigation Project Name | Project Type | GMI Reported Status | GMI Reported Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karviná, Brusperk, and Frenstát Pipeline Injection Project - Czech Republic | utilization | Operational | 1997 |
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
- ↑ https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/2593272.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://polar.cz/index.php/zpravy/pr/11000017423/okd-uzavira-rok-2024-se-ziskem-a-vstupuje-do-posledniho-roku-tezby#:~:text=T%C4%9B%C5%BEebn%C3%AD%20spole%C4%8Dnost%20OKD%20vyt%C4%9B%C5%BEila%20v;uhl%C3%AD%20v%20ostravsko%2Dkarvinsk%C3%A9m%20rev%C3%ADru.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://polar.cz/index.php/zpravy/pr/11000017423/okd-uzavira-rok-2024-se-ziskem-a-vstupuje-do-posledniho-roku-tezby#:~:text=T%C4%9B%C5%BEebn%C3%AD%20spole%C4%8Dnost%20OKD%20vyt%C4%9B%C5%BEila%20v;uhl%C3%AD%20v%20ostravsko%2Dkarvinsk%C3%A9m%20rev%C3%ADru.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20221105112249/https://www.okd.cz/en/coal-mining/how-coal-is-mined-in-okd/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OKD.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://apnews.com/article/czech-coal-mine-climate-energy-130a8811c2313891cadd2212f0f09271.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20210415224317/http://www.newworldresources.eu/en/operations/active-mines/csm-mine/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20230207001910/http://ekonomickydenik.cz/tezba-hnedeho-uhli-v-cesku-loni-vzrostla-o-14-procent-zajem-tahly-uhelne-elektrarny-i-domacnosti/. Archived from the original on 07 February 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.mpo.gov.cz/assets/cz/energetika/statistika/obnovitelne-zdroje-energie/2018/2/Uhli--koks-2017---tabulka.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.mpo.gov.cz/assets/cz/energetika/statistika/tuha-paliva/2019/3/Produkce-tuhych-fosilnich-paliv-za-rok-2018.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 (PDF) https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/301b7295-c0aa-4a3e-be6b-2d79aba3680e/CzechRepublic2021.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.mpo.gov.cz/assets/cz/energetika/statistika/tuha-paliva/2021/11/Mesicni-statistika-uhli-2021.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.mpo.gov.cz/assets/cz/energetika/statistika/tuha-paliva/2022/1/Produkce-tuhych-fosilnich-paliv-za-rok-2021.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/2485117.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ OKD, OSTRAVA-KARVINÁ COAL BASIN, OKD website, accessed Nov 23, 2019
- ↑ "Těžba černého uhlí v Česku v sobotu definitivně končí. Po téměř 250 letech". https://www.seznamzpravy.cz. January 30, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ OKD, "How coal is mined in OKD", OKD website, Archived from the original on 21 February 2022, accessed May 2023.
- ↑ OKD AFTER 1990 OKD website, accessed Nov 23, 2019
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 "Czech Republic 2021 - Energy Policy Review" (PDF). iea.org. 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ OKD, OSTRAVA-KARVINÁ COAL BASIN, OKD website, accessed Nov 23, 2019
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Brown coal mining in the Czech Republic increased by 14 percent last year. Interest was driven by coal-fired power plants and households". https://ekonomickydenik.cz/. January 2023.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 "OKD Coal Mining". okd.cz. Retrieved February 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "OKD to decommission two mines". https://eurometal.net/. September 2020.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Czech OKD to keep CSM coal mine running until 2025 amid energy crisis". www.reuters.com. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 25.0 25.1 "OBRAZEM: Takto dnes vypadá práce v Dole ČSM. Podívejte se do podzemí". karvinsky.denik.cz. August 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Černé uhlí se v Dole ČSM bude těžit až do roku 2025. Původně měla činnost skončit letos". www.irozhlas.cz/. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:8 - ↑ "Last Czech deep coal mine closes as centuries-old industry reaches final day". https://www.reuters.com. January 16, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Těžba černého uhlí v Česku v sobotu definitivně končí. Po téměř 250 letech". https://www.seznamzpravy.cz. January 30, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Operation-in-closure South", OKD website, Archived from the original on 17 January 2022, accessed May 2023,
- ↑ Marc Santora, "Czech Coal Mine Explosion Kills at Least 13", New York Times, Dec. 21, 2018
- ↑ Karl Janieck, "Death toll in Czech mine explosion increases to 13", WMC Action News, Dec 21, 2018
- ↑ "Czech coal miner OKD extends production until at least end-2023". reuters.com. June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:6 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:7 - ↑ "Těžba černého uhlí v Česku v sobotu definitivně končí. Po téměř 250 letech". https://www.seznamzpravy.cz. January 30, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Končí poslední aktivní důl. Nahradí jej výroba zelené energie i skladování dat". https://www.stavebniserver.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=
