Wyoming environmental regulators have approved Ramaco Carbon’s application to construct the state’s first new coal mine in nearly half a century near Sheridan. Coal from the surface mine will be used “to develop alternative uses for coal beyond burning it, potentially revitalising a key facet of both the state and the national economy.” This also constitutes a permit of one of the largest private coal/carbon ore reserves in the country. The company said pre-mine development work would begin shortly, and that it intends to employ local Wyoming miners affected by the industry’s downturn in the state. Ramaco Carbon is a sister company of Virginia and Pennsylvania metcoal miner Ramaco Resources.
The Brook mine comprises over 15,000 acres and contains over one billion tons of thermal coal reserves, and is located on the site of previous coal mines going back to the 19th century. Its coal will serve as feedstock for research and manufacturing efforts at the iCAM and iPark. Ramaco is styling Sheridan, Wyoming as Carbon Valley supplying carbon from coal for high tech markets.
The iCAM (Innovating Carbon Advanced Materials) centre will host research professionals from national laboratories, universities, private research groups and manufacturing organisations in both laboratory, pilot-plant and permanent operating facilities. “This facility will foster research that allows strategic manufacturing partners to conduct applied research and development with one goal: to use the carbon found in coal to create advanced manufactured products.”
The iPark centre will be a next generation mine-mouth “coal to products” manufacturing facility, with zero net emissions. Located next to the Brook mine, operations at the iPark will utilise coal from the mine to create high-value carbon products. These include carbon fibre, graphene, graphite, carbon nano tubes, carbon dots, carbon-based resins, carbon based building products, medical products and activated carbon.
