Charbonnages De France

a government-owned French fuel and chemical company, one of France’s largest industrial companies (in 1975 it was the 13th largest in turnover). The firm was formed in 1946 from nationalized coal companies, and it began petrochemical production in the 1960’s. In 1968 the company joined its chemical enterprises under the control of its subsidiary CDF Chimie, one of the chief French chemical companies. Charbonnages de France controls virtually all coal mining and a significant portion of the coke production in France; it is a major producer of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers, polyvinyl chloride, and several other chemical products, and also participates in petroleum production. It supplies coal to the leading power and metallurgical companies, and also uses coal in its own industrial and power enterprises. Charbonnages de France owns more than 20 chemical enterprises that produce fertilizers, basic organic chemistry products, large semifinished products, and plastics. In 1975 it registered a turnover of $2.2 billion, employed 100,000 persons, and mined 24 million tons of coal.