Poland's Imported Coal of Lower Quality, Poor Substitute for Russian Fuel, Reports Say

WARSAW (Sputnik) - The coal imported by Poland has a very low calorific value and can only partially replace Russian or Polish coal, while costing much more, Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported on Wednesday.

Poland completely banned the import of coal from Russia in April, which had a negative affect on the availability of coal on the market and raised its price. The cost of a tonne of coal from private suppliers reaches 3,000 Polish zlotys (about $620). In early July, Poland's Ministry of Climate and Environment temporarily abolished the quality requirements for the coal used for heating for 60 days.

"By roughly evaluating the types of coal imported into our country, we can say that from one tonne of such raw materials only about 15-20% can be used for heating," the president of the Polish Mining Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Lukash Horbacz, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian attacks. Western countries and their allies responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia. The European Union has also vowed to reduce its dependency on Russian energy.