Polish hard coal production in 2015 fell 0.4% year on year to 72.2 million mt but sales rose 4.7% to 73.6 million mt as the country's struggling miners sold off stockpiles to raise cash, according to figures released Friday by the Industrial Development Agency (ARP).
Thermal coal production fell 1.7% year on year to 59.2 million mt but coking coal output increased 6% to 13 million mt.
Overall production levels in 2015 were more or less maintained despite an 11% year on year reduction in the workforce, which fell to 92,100, ARP said.
Coal stockpiles were reduced by 29% to 5.8 million mt at the end of December. The bulk of that amount is held as guarantees for banks.
Domestic coal sales increased 4% year on year to 64.6 million mt and exports were up 8% to 9 million mt.
For the first time in nine years Poland was a net exporter of coal as the country imported 7.4 million mt until the end of November last year, the latest figures available, ARP said.
Poland's coal miners achieved an average price of Zloty 258.58/mt ($65.59/mt) in 2015, down 6% year on year.
The continued fall in coal prices meant the coal miners made an average loss of Zloty 26.81 on every mt of coal produced.
The sector recorded a net loss of Zloty 1.898 billion in 2015, which was Zloty 154 million less than in 2014.
