OKD to close ČSM mine in Stonava, cutting 900 jobs

The ČSM Mine in Stonava will close on 31 January 2026 – ending bituminous coal mining in the Czech Republic after almost 250 years of mining history. The state-owned company OKD will lay off around 900 employees by the end of February 2026 and pay numerous severance packages (over 500 million crowns). OKD is retaining around 600 workers for three years for technical wind-down and the development of new business activities: extraction and use of mine gas for electricity and heat generation, coal purchasing, and the production of custom energy blends using existing facilities. Update (04.02.2026): Coal extraction at the ČSM mine ended overnight into 01.02.2026, and the last coal cart was brought up on 04.02.2026. About 750 employees left at the end of January and roughly 150 more by the end of February; around 700 stay on for decommissioning and new business lines (Karvinský a havířovský deník, 04.02.2026: https://karvinsky.denik.cz/zpravy-region/okd-stonava-d-l-csm-posledni-vozik-tezba-cerne-uhli-karvinsko-cesko-konec-2026/).