The restructuring, which was initiated on 14 March 2012, involved a complex process concerning various parties including the Coal Authority, customers and shareholders among others.

The energy supplier will now operate as two separate business entities comprising the Mining Division under UK Coal Mine Holdings and the Property Division under Harworth Estates Property Group.

Subsequent to the changes UK Coal has now been renamed as Coalfield Resources.

UK Coal chairman Jonson Cox commented that coal mines stood very little chance of trading beyond March 2013 had the company not restructured.

"The restructuring has helped to safeguard 2,500 highly skilled and well-paid jobs, a skilled supply chain, and created a funding plan for the £450m pension deficit that UK Coal has been burdened with.

"Without this restructuring, the costs would have fallen by now to the British taxpayer and the Pension Protection Fund," Cox said.

A recently created Employee Benefit Trust will gain control of the Mining Division, while UK Coal will have 33% of the voting rights in the business.