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Coal crisis in Russia: More than 50 companies on the brink of extinction!
Russia's coal industry faces serious challenges in 2025: high losses, company closures and sanctions.
Coal crisis in Russia: More than 50 companies on the brink of extinction!
Russia's coal industry is in deep crisis, exacerbated by international sanctions, high debt and weak demand. The impact is drastic: more than a quarter of coal mining companies are facing closure, which could result in a loss of over R300 billion this year. Economist Natalja Zubarewitsch describes this situation as a “perfect storm” that is plunging the industry into an existential threat. Loud fr.de 51 companies, affecting a total of 32,600 jobs, are fighting to avoid being shut down.
The losses of the coal industry in the first months of 2025 amount to about 112 billion rubles. However, this amount could rise to between 200 and 350 billion rubles by the end of the year. In particular, the Spiridonovskaya mine was no longer able to bear operating costs at the end of June 2025 and closed its doors, leaving 900 employees unemployed. Deputy Energy Minister Dmitry Islamov acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and stressed that the situation urgently requires numerous support measures.
Causes of the crisis
The Energy Department reports that production forecasts for 2025 have been revised downwards, particularly as coal production has already fallen by 5 million tonnes last year. Another important factor is the EU's import ban on Russian coal, which causes Russia to lose revenue of around 8 billion euros annually. To counteract this, Russia has tried in recent years to redirect export markets to Asia, particularly China, India and Turkey. Although China currently imports almost half of Russia's coal, the country reduced imports by 7.8% in 2024.
Government measures and future outlook
At the end of May 2025, government measures to support the coal industry were decided. These include relief from raw material extraction taxes and special compensation for Siberian companies. These measures are intended to reduce the burden and help to stabilize exports in the long term. According to Islamow, preventing transportation bottlenecks is crucial to increasing the efficiency of exports to China. Collaborations with the Ministry of Transport and Russian Railways are being planned to reduce costs and shorten travel times.
Despite the grim situation, there are signs that exports from Yakutia could rise by 0.5% in 2025. Overall, however, without decisive measures there could soon be a risk of a decline in coal production of at least 15%. Experts and the government are faced with the challenge of finding sustainable solutions to save this important industry so as not to further endanger Russia's economic stability.