A lignite mine in Kardia, northern Greece, located close to power stations operated by the power utility PPC, has been temporarily closed down as a result of licensing problems concerning the development of a road project required as a bypass.

Mining activity at Kardia, in a direction towards Pontokomi, has reached an old highway linking Ptolemaida and Kozani. A bypass is needed to cover a section of the Ptolemaida-Kozani highway that needs to be closed for mining activity to continue.

Workers at the Kardia mine were ordered to stop all mining activity on August 15. A large number of workers have been forced to take leave until the end of this month.

In September, Kardia morning-shift workers will return to the site to perform maintenance work on equipment and facilities. Others will be transferred to a mine at Mavropiyi for a two-month period. This mine has been understaffed.

The Kardia lignite mine will remain closed until the end of October, LKDM, the West Macedonia Lignite Center, a member of the power utility PPC group, announced in mid-August.