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Coal mining to phase out in Germany by 2017-18: VDMA

December 2: Coal mining in Germany is gradually reducing at a steady pace and is likely to phase out by 2017-18, Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, German Engineering Federation (VDMA) said at an Indo-German Business symposium held in Kolkata.

"Currently, we are producing hardly 20 million tons of coal per annum (mtpa) in Germany and this quantity is further reducing day by day. We expect coal mining to phase out completely in near future," he added.

At present, the German coal industry is faced with a number of pollution issues coupled with steep rise in cost of mining at underground level. Moreover, the country has joined the bandwagon to move towards a path of cleaner greener environment. All these are resulting into the dwindling of the coal industry in Germany, Nath further added.