Major new deal for Famur low seam shearer from KHW’s Murcki-Staszic

famur.JPGPoland’s Famur has announced the conclusion by 7 March 2012, a series of individual agreements with the Katowice Coal Holding (KHW) totaling more than €32.1 million. The majority of the amount, some €31,2 million, covers the delivery of a mining system for thin coal seams to the Murcki-Staszic coal mine near Katowice. This will be the second complete mining system for thin coal seams supplied by Famur to the same coal mine. The first mining system for thin coal seams supplied by Famur has been working for almost a year in the Murcki-Staszic coal mine. Operating in characteristic for thin coal seams – difficult mining and geological conditions, the system produces up to 6,000 t/d of pure coal per day, which is possible only because of the unique design and size of the shearer.

“The agreement to provide the second mining system to the same mine confirms that the solution is fully reliable and met the expectations of our customers. It is very important to us. Famur mining systems for thin coal seams, as an alternative to the plow method, have also aroused the interest of representatives of foreign mines. We believe that this product may get score highly, not only domestically but also in the international market” said Ireneusz Tomecki, Executive Vice President Famur SA. It is the second mechanised longwall system for extraction of thin coal seams to be delivered to the mine, and is entirely designed and manufactured by Famur. Working results of the first mining system for thin coal seams, installed in spring 2011 at the Murcki-Staszic coal mine, showed that this is a solution that significantly increases the extraction efficiency and substantially contributes to improving the safety of miners, say Famur. The mining system FL12/18 allows for economically viable exploitation of thin coal seams and provides an alternative for the plow method, especially in the seams deposited in difficult mining and geological conditions. The new mining system for thin coal seams is the FL13/19, and includes first-class equipment from Famur such as the FS200 longwall shearer; 171 powered roof suports;  armoured face conveyor and beam stage loader with a lump crusher. The system will operate using Famur’s e-system, which allows full diagnostics and monitoring of all relevant parameters, and will transmit operational data to the dispatch centre of the mine and to Famur’s Diagnostic Centre.

The benefits of using this innovative technology in comparison with the plow method according to Famur are:

  • Lower purchase costs – about €24.3 million less than the purchase of plow technology
  • Lower longwall opening costs – about €2.6 million less than the plow technology
  • Guarantee of output – a minimum of 3,000 t/d (average system output was 3,500 t/d), with the sales price of PLN 350/t of coal, it gives a figure of PLN 1.225 million (€ 298,000)/d
  • The effect of ‘clear working’– with varying thickness of the seam, the system does not mine the waste rock
  • Production capacity – improvement of technological solutions and work organisation allowed the system output of up to 6000 t/d while working at a maximum of 15 hours.