Brown coal mining in the Czech Republic rose nearly four percent year on year in the first half of this year, to 13.04 million tonnes, despite plans for a gradual phase-out. Hard coal mining, meanwhile, has ended, with the last mine in the Karviná region closing in early February.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, around 95 percent of brown coal was used for industrial purposes, with the rest going mainly to households and smaller heating plants. Experts attribute the increase to higher gas and electricity prices following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.