Soko Coal Mine
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Soko Coal Mine (Соко) is an operating coal mine in Sokobanja, Zaječar, Central Serbia, Serbia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Soko Coal Mine | Sokobanja, Zaječar, Central Serbia, Serbia | 43.63458, 22.00681 (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[1] | – | 1908[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.065503[2] | 2024[2] | Underground | – | – | 494* | 539[3] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.9[4] | 2017[4] | – | – | Subbituminous[1] | Thermal | Coal Plant |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| JP PEU Resavica [100.0%] | Government of the Republic of Serbia | Serbia |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.08[4] | 0.07*[5] | 0.08*[5] | 0.06*[5] | 0.07[6] | 0.02[7] | 0.03[5] | 0.07[2] | – |
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
The Soko Coal Mine is an underground coal mine near Sokobanja, Zaječar, Serbia.[8] The mine is owned and operated by the Public Company for Underground Coal Mining Resavica, which was established as per the government's decision in 2003.[9] It is a state-owned entity.
The Soko coal mine produced 65,503 tonnes of coal in 2024, compared with a planned output of 60,300 tonnes, achieving 109% of the production target.[10]
Incidents and Open-Pit Operations
The mine has a history of methane accidents. In 1998, 27 miners died in an explosion at the mine. On April 1 2022, eight miners were killed and 18 injured when a shaft collapsed, and according to the Mining and Energy ministry, lead to "a sudden penetration of methane into the working space."[11] Investigations following the April 2022 accident found that mining in Field 99, where the explosion occurred, had been conducted without an official exploitation permit. The requisite approval from the Ministry of Mining and Energy was only granted in November 2023.[12]
Following the April 2022 explosion, underground operations were suspended and Resavica commenced open-pit extraction at an alternative surface site within the Soko concession area.[13] As of March 2025, tenders had been issued for reconstruction of the mine's compressor plant and testing of tunnel steel supports, signalling preparation for a resumption of underground extraction.[14]
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 1.2 (PDF) https://privatizacija.privreda.gov.rs/upload/document/resavica_pe.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 (PDF) https://jppeu.rs/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GPP-2025-i-Odluka-NO.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/4.%20GIG_09_12_2022_last.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 (PDF) https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/3.%20RADOSLAV%20VUKAS%20-%20BASIC%20CHARACHTERISTICS%20OF%20COAL%20DEPOSITS%20AND%20UNDERGROUND%20COAL%20MINE%20AT%20SERBIA%20RV.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 (PDF) https://jppeu.rs/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/0.-Program-poslovanja-JP-PEU-za-2024-godinu-usvojen-na-NO-25.06.2024-i-na-Vladi-RS-br-023-7231-2024-od-01.08.24.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://jppeu.rs/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Program-poslovanja-JP-PEU-Resavica-za-2022.-godinu-usvojen.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://jppeu.rs/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Godisnji-program-poslovanja-za-2023-godinu-usvojen.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Milanko Savic (Republic Mining Inspector),Underground Methane-Rich Coal Mines of Serbia,UNECE, 2015
- ↑ "History". https://www.jppeu.rs. Retrieved March 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help); External link in|website= - ↑ "Godišnji program poslovanja za 2025. godinu i Odluka Nadzornog odbora JP PEU Resavica" (PDF). https://jppeu.rs/. 2025. Retrieved Mar 10, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ Eight killed as coal mine shaft in Serbia collapses, Reuters, April 1, 2022
- ↑ "Serbia: Soko brown coal mine set to resume underground operations three years after fatal accident". serbia-energy.eu. March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Serbian state-owned Resavica starts open-pit drilling at Soko coal mine after April blast". seenews.com. January 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Serbia: Soko brown coal mine set to resume underground operations three years after fatal accident". serbia-energy.eu. March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
