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Mineral industry of Europe
The European mining industry has a long tradition. Although the continent's mines earn a small share of GDP, they provide a large and significant share of world-wide production.
Before World War II, the economy of Europe relied largely on coal as its source of primary energy with very little of the diversification into oil and gas that had already occurred in the United States. Coal, which was a major fuel for the world's largest economies for more than a century, is now giving way to renewables. During a week in April 2018 the United Kingdom went 55 hours without coal in favor renewable energy in the United Kingdom. The UK was one of the earliest adopters of renewable energy and has the fifth largest wind power production among the countries in the world.
The continent itself is rich in natural resources, and minerals, which are use in every-day life such as construction materials for infrastructure, building, roads, production of steel, cars, computers, medicines and fertilisers. The mining and quarrying industry which extracts these minerals is very important to industrial, social and technological process in the European Union. Industrial minerals, such as barytes, kaolinite or salt, are extracted within the European Union to supply a wide range of industries.
Of those, Sweden is one of the European Union's leading ore and metal-producing countries and the Swedish mining industry is in a period of strong growth. An expanding Swedish mining industry would also contribute to greater self-sufficiency in the European Union, which was a priority in the "Raw Materials Initiative — meeting our critical need for growth and jobs in Europe", presented by the European Commission in 2008 and 2010. By 2020, resource mines in the European Union can possibly become diversified.
Europe's mining industry had a long, profitable history, dating as far back as 8,000 years ago in eastern Europe, and mining copper as far back as early in eastern Europe and Spain. In Ancient Rome, mining for gold and copper in Spain, Cyprus and eastern Europe and tin in Cornwall were important. Dating back as far as the Neolithic, all kinds of mineral rocks were mined in all parts of Europe. Underground mining required significantly more energy than surface operations because of the need for ventilation and pumps, and the longer haulage distances involved.
The European metals and minerals mining sector employs more than 200,000 people directly in the extraction and beneficiation processes and numerous jobs are depending on it, the turnover of Europe alone is €13 billion Euros. In addition, there are another 100,000 people working at subsidiaries across the world, depending on Europe based headquarters of mining companies. In western Europe, about 182,000 jobs in coal-mining were lost between 1988 and 1993, a reduction in employment by 40%, whereas coal production fell by about 8%, reflecting significant gains in productivity.
In 2012, an estimated 7 million people were employed in the mining industry, most of them in coal (including lignite) mining.
Domestic mine production of industrial metals (excluding coal) was valued approximately $11 billion in 2018 compared with $10 billion in 2007 and $9.2 billion in 2006; the real producer's price index for industrial minerals in Germany increased about 3% in 2008, compared with 4% in 2007.
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Mineral industry of Europe
The European mining industry has a long tradition. Although the continent's mines earn a small share of GDP, they provide a large and significant share of world-wide production.
Before World War II, the economy of Europe relied largely on coal as its source of primary energy with very little of the diversification into oil and gas that had already occurred in the United States. Coal, which was a major fuel for the world's largest economies for more than a century, is now giving way to renewables. During a week in April 2018 the United Kingdom went 55 hours without coal in favor renewable energy in the United Kingdom. The UK was one of the earliest adopters of renewable energy and has the fifth largest wind power production among the countries in the world.
The continent itself is rich in natural resources, and minerals, which are use in every-day life such as construction materials for infrastructure, building, roads, production of steel, cars, computers, medicines and fertilisers. The mining and quarrying industry which extracts these minerals is very important to industrial, social and technological process in the European Union. Industrial minerals, such as barytes, kaolinite or salt, are extracted within the European Union to supply a wide range of industries.
Of those, Sweden is one of the European Union's leading ore and metal-producing countries and the Swedish mining industry is in a period of strong growth. An expanding Swedish mining industry would also contribute to greater self-sufficiency in the European Union, which was a priority in the "Raw Materials Initiative — meeting our critical need for growth and jobs in Europe", presented by the European Commission in 2008 and 2010. By 2020, resource mines in the European Union can possibly become diversified.
Europe's mining industry had a long, profitable history, dating as far back as 8,000 years ago in eastern Europe, and mining copper as far back as early in eastern Europe and Spain. In Ancient Rome, mining for gold and copper in Spain, Cyprus and eastern Europe and tin in Cornwall were important. Dating back as far as the Neolithic, all kinds of mineral rocks were mined in all parts of Europe. Underground mining required significantly more energy than surface operations because of the need for ventilation and pumps, and the longer haulage distances involved.
The European metals and minerals mining sector employs more than 200,000 people directly in the extraction and beneficiation processes and numerous jobs are depending on it, the turnover of Europe alone is €13 billion Euros. In addition, there are another 100,000 people working at subsidiaries across the world, depending on Europe based headquarters of mining companies. In western Europe, about 182,000 jobs in coal-mining were lost between 1988 and 1993, a reduction in employment by 40%, whereas coal production fell by about 8%, reflecting significant gains in productivity.
In 2012, an estimated 7 million people were employed in the mining industry, most of them in coal (including lignite) mining.
Domestic mine production of industrial metals (excluding coal) was valued approximately $11 billion in 2018 compared with $10 billion in 2007 and $9.2 billion in 2006; the real producer's price index for industrial minerals in Germany increased about 3% in 2008, compared with 4% in 2007.