Kovin Coal Mine

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Kovin Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Kovin, Serbia.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Kovin Coal Mine	Kovin, Serbia	44.7378935237874, 21.1075201299132 (approximate)

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

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Operating	–	1995	–

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
0.3	0.2	2023	Underground	–	–	494*	150

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
–	2013	280	–	Lignite	Thermal	–

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Note: To access more comprehensive data on energy ownership, please visit the Global Energy Ownership Tracker.

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Rudnik Kovin AD [100.0%]	Government of the Republic of Serbia	Serbia

Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Background

Exploration work on the Kovin mine site began in 1976, and coal mining began in 1995. The coal is extracted from the bottom of a lake connected to the Danube, and represents the only underwater coal exploitation in the world. Current operations are carried out by Rundik Kovin AD.

The Kovin coal mine conducts underwater lignite extraction from beneath an artificial lake connected to the Danube River near the town of Kovin. Kovin is considered the only active underwater coal mining operation in Europe and one of the few such operations worldwide.

Production at the Kovin mine historically fluctuated depending on investment and operational conditions, but annual output generally remained well below the designed capacity of the deposit.

In November 2023, based on the Conclusion of the Government of the Republic of Serbia from June 2023, the shares of the Kovin Mine were transferred from the Register of Securities and Shares to the Republic of Serbia, and the Ministry of Economy adopted a Decision to suspend the privatization process. According to the Energy Strategy document published in the second half of 2024, current production from the underwater mine at Kovin is 200,000 tonnes.

In March 2024, Rudnik Kovin AD issued a statement contesting media reports that described the existing mine as being in its final phase of exploitation. The company confirmed that underwater coal production had continued uninterrupted since 1991 and was ongoing on both the overburden and coal extraction fronts. The company also disclosed that it was in discussions regarding a strategic partnership with Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS).

Expansion

The Novi Kovin underground exploitation project was announced over a decade ago, according to 2022 media sources. The project is developed by a company Energetski Kompleks doo Beograd that has filed the request to decide on the necessity of the environmental impact assessment. The project entails an expansion of the (existing) coal excavation site in the municipality of Kovin, using the method of underwater exploitation, which is unique in the world. It appeared that the entity developing the expansion project is different from Rudnik Kovin AD who is managing the existing operations of the underwater exploitation. Morevover, it appeared that in early 2024 Rudnik Kovin AD planned to contest the planned activity of Energetski Kompleks doo Beograd.

The Novi Kovin project was mentioned in the 'Energy Strategy of Serbia up to 2040' document adopted in the second half of 2024, stating that "there is also the possibility of coal production from the Novi Kovin mine, whose exploitation capacity is 3 million tons per year."

National Coal Plans

In July 2024, Serbia adopted the final National Energy and Climate Plan highlighting that with the exception of some units, generally coal power plant capacities will be maintained and will not be dismantled until 2045. The national Energy Strategy of Serbia up to 2040 (with projections up to 2050) indicated that coal production shall be gradually lowered. It is estimated that the demand for brown coal and dry lignite will be halved by 2040, in relation to the reference year 2021. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize and rationalize production in underground coal mining, close non-viable mines with almost depleted reserves and invest in viable and profitable mines. Remaining coal reserves should acquire strategic character and it is necessary to make investment in overburden excavation and slope stabilization.

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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.