Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), Europe’s largest coking coal producer, has declared force majeure following a fire at its Borynia-Zofiówka mine, forcing the company to revise its 2025 production targets.
The fire broke out on September 12, 2025, in the Zofiówka section, where endogenous combustion led to the isolation of the C-2 longwall in seam 505/1. This prompted the suspension of operations and an expected shortfall of 156,000 tons of coking coal this year.
On September 18, JSW’s management board formally announced the force majeure, notifying business partners of potential impacts on contractual deliveries. “As of the date of this report, it is impossible to determine the full impact of the incident on the future prospects of the company and the JSW group,” the company said in a stock exchange filing, adding that further updates will be issued if new information emerges.
The fire underscores ongoing operational risks for JSW, which remains the EU’s top coking coal supplier to the steel industry. Similar incidents in recent years have raised concerns over production stability and the company’s ability to meet long-term supply commitments.
Despite the setback, JSW’s future operations received a boost in August when regulators extended its license to extract coal and methane from the Borynia deposit until 2042. The deposit holds nearly 40 million tons of high-quality coking coal and over 80 million cubic meters of methane, ensuring long-term resource security for the mine and the surrounding region.
