Manufacture of coke, crude tar and other solid fuels

An unqualified (free) trade (field no. 16 under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act) covering the manufacture of coke, crude tar, briquettes and other solid fuels. It requires no professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act. The trade licence comes into existence already on the day of notification.

Examples of activities

• manufacture of coke (coking of black coal)
• manufacture of crude (black-coal and brown-coal) tar
• manufacture of briquettes and pellets from coal, peat or biomass
• manufacture of charcoal and semi-coke
• processing and treatment of solid fuels for further use
• manufacture of fuels by agglomeration or pressing
• manufacture of crude benzole and coke-oven gas as by-products of coking

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture of coke, crude tar and other solid fuels is one of the 80 fields of activity of the unqualified (free) trade (field no. 16 under Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act). It entitles you to manufacture solid fuels and products arising from their processing - above all coke, crude tar and other solid fuels.

The essence of this activity is the transformation of input raw materials (especially black and brown coal, peat, wood or biomass) into fuels with a higher calorific value or better functional properties. A typical process is coking, that is the high-temperature processing of coal without access to air (carbonisation), in which coke is produced and, as by-products, crude tar, coke-oven gas and crude benzole.

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you do not have to prove any education or experience. It is enough that you meet the general conditions for operating a trade under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act. This makes the activity an accessible way to start a business in the manufacture of solid fuels.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field no. 16 covers in particular:

• manufacture of coke by carbonisation (coking) of black coal in coke-oven batteries,
• manufacture of crude tar from black and brown coal and other liquid and gaseous by-products of coking (coke-oven gas, crude benzole),
• manufacture of briquettes, pellets and agglomerated fuels from coal, peat or biomass,
• manufacture of charcoal, semi-coke and similar solid fuels,
• treatment and refining of solid fuels (crushing, sorting, pressing, drying) for further use.

What does not belong here:

• Coal mining - the extraction of exclusive mineral deposits is mining activity under the Mining Act, not a trade. The treatment of minerals, extraction of peat and mud falls under the separate field no. 6 of the unqualified trade.
• Manufacture of chemical substances and chemical mixtures (e.g. cleaning and distillation of tar into chemical products) belongs to field no. 17 Manufacture of chemical substances and chemical mixtures or articles and cosmetic products. The manufacture of chemical substances and mixtures is expressly not part of field no. 16.
• Manufacture and distribution of gas, generation of electricity and heat by burning fuels - the energy sector is subject to special regulation (the Energy Act, a licence from the Energy Regulatory Office), not to a trade licence.
• Wholesale and retail of fuels belongs to field no. 48 of the unqualified trade Wholesale and retail.

If you are not sure how to classify a particular activity, we recommend consulting the scope with the Trade Licensing Office.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Since this is an unqualified (free) trade, you must meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

• full legal capacity under Section 6(1)(a) (for a minor it may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent to the independent carrying out of business activity),
• a clean criminal record under Section 6(2) - a clean criminal record is proven by the office itself from an extract of the Criminal Records Register, you do not document it yourself.

Professional qualification is not documented. For an unqualified trade the law requires no education or experience - this is the main difference compared with craft trades (qualification under Sections 21 and 22), regulated trades (qualification under Annex 2) and licensed trades (Annex 3, with administrative proceedings on granting the concession in addition).

If you do not wish or are unable to operate the trade personally, you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11. For a legal entity a responsible representative is necessary where it does not meet the conditions for operation through a member of its statutory body. The responsible representative must meet the general conditions under Section 6; for an unqualified trade they do not have to document professional qualification. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(6)).

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

1. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF). It serves at the same time for registration with the tax office, the social security administration and the health insurance company.
2. Choose the field of activity - for the unqualified trade you mark field no. 16 Manufacture of coke, crude tar and other solid fuels. Within one notification you may state several fields at once for one administrative fee.
3. Submit the notification. Options:
   • in person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (central registration point),
   • electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal,
   • through Czech POINT.
4. Pay the administrative fee (see below).
5. Wait for the entry. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days of notification. The trade licence, however, comes into existence already on the day of notification, so you can start trading immediately.

A detailed procedure can be found in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
• Completed JRF stating the field(s) of the unqualified trade.
• Proof of payment of the administrative fee.
• Owner's consent to locating the registered office (if it differs from the permanent place of residence).
• Fee for notifying a trade: CZK 1,000, and CZK 800 for an electronic filing.
• Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade: CZK 0 (free), if you already operate the unqualified trade.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to have education or experience in metallurgy or chemistry?

No. This is an unqualified trade for which professional qualification is not documented. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 - full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.

Can I add other fields of the unqualified trade to this field?

Yes. The unqualified trade is a single one and has 80 fields. When notifying you can state several fields at once for a single fee and add a field at any time later free of charge (CZK 0).

When can I start trading?

The trade licence comes into existence on the day of notification. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days, but you do not have to wait for the actual start of trading.

Do I need other permits besides the trade in order to operate?

The trade licence alone entitles you to manufacture. The operation of the equipment (coke plants, briquette plants), however, may be subject to further regulations - in particular the Building Act, the Air Protection Act, integrated permitting (IPPC) and waste management regulations. These obligations are dealt with by the relevant administrative authorities outside the Trade Licensing Act.

Does the procedure differ for a natural and a legal person?

The notification procedure is similar. A legal entity, however, must in the cases laid down by Section 11 appoint a responsible representative and document the details of the persons acting on its behalf.

Sources

• Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act
• Ministry of Industry and Trade