Indigenous coal and profitability
Die deutsche Steinkohle ist seit langem und auf Sicht wirtschaftlich nicht wettbewerbsfähig und deswegen zu ihrem Fortbestand auf Subventionen angewiesen. Die wesentlichen Gründe dafür liegen in den geologischen Abbaubedingungen und anderen volkswirtschaftlichen Standortbedingungen hierzulande, die bei den herrschenden Weltmarktpreisen vorerst keine kostendeckende Produktion erlauben.The German coal industry has not been competitive for many years and this situation is likely to persist. For this reason it continues to be reliant on subsidies for its future existence. This can all be attributed to geological conditions and other economic ‘homebase’ factors that, given the prevailing world market prices, currently prevent the coal industry from meeting its production costs.
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| Indigenous coal and profitability |
While German production costs have been kept reasonably stable thanks to rationalisation measures and wage freezes agreed with the mineworkers – though of course in the world of underground mining unforeseen circumstances can always impact on costs – world market prices for coal and other competing fuels have been subject to fairly major fluctuations. This in turn has affected the cost-price difference (and hence the amount of subsidy per tonne) over the course of time. The spectacular price hikes witnessed in the coking-coal sector during 2004/5 have also meant that the production costs of German coke have now re-entered the profitability zone.
More details...(German)
Source:
GVSt
www.gvst.de
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