Thriveni Earthmovers and client NTPC, India’s largest electricity producer, have celebrated the start-up of a new in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) system and Coal Handling Plant (CHP) at the 15 Mt/y Pakri Barwadih mine in Jharkand with the system having begun trial operations. The IPCC system was supplied by Germany’s TAKRAF and in-country subsidiary TAKRAF India Pvt Ltd heaquartered in Chennai based on joint engineering with the mine’s own teams and includes three 1,250 t/h semi-mobile crushing stations equipped with TAKRAF sizers imported from Germany, plus a 6 km overland conveyor with horizontal and vertical curves mounted on sleepers.

The project also includes stackers and reclaimers from TAKRAF to allow mixing of different grades of coal plus transfer points. Thriveni said the project is a first for the Indian coal mining industry and will significantly reduce the mine’s carbon footprint through reduced use of diesel-based truck haulage of coal. India’s largest electricity producer, NTPC Ltd, began production of coal from the Pakri Barwadih mine in 2017. The mine is operated by Thriveni Sainik Mining Pvt Ltd (TSMPL), a JV between leading Indian mining contractor, Thriveni Earthmovers and Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd, with the joint venture having been awarded a 25 year Mine Developer cum Operator (MDO) contract in September 2015.