Mechel says its mining facilities received a total of some 270 equipment units, including more than 80 large-scale machines and assembly units, in 2021.

The most sweeping technical revamps and retrofits involved Southern Kuzbass Coal Company, which received more than 100 new equipment units, including heavy-duty trucks, bulldozers and service equipment. All mobile equipment uses an online dispatch system implemented by Southern Kuzbass Coal Company, which ensures improved performance and work efficiency, the company said. The new machines take part in transporting overburden, as well as moving coal from the mines to the washing plants and shipping points.

Southern Kuzbass Coal Company’s washing plants launched a total of 39 new equipment units.

Yakutugol Holding Company launched 74 new equipment units, including heavy-duty trucks, an excavator and “gondola railcars” for transporting loose cargo. Due to complicated geological conditions at the Neryungrinsky open pit, this year the company made sure to revamp pumping equipment to pump ground water and prevent flooding at mining areas. Neryungrinskaya Washing Plant installed two new centrifuges to eliminate excess water from the coal concentrate and three magnetic roughers. The plant also continued with the sweeping upgrade of its mud pump stock.

Ninety equipment units, including heavy-duty trucks, excavators and a boring rig, were bought for Korshunov Mining Plant. This equipment is used to transport ore from Korshunovsky open pit, mining at Korshunovsky and Rudnogorsky open pits, even in extremely low temperatures. Korshunov’s washing plant launched new pumps as well as a press for curing conveyors. The plant also received new hydro separators.

“We invested approximately 4 billion rubles ($54 million) into acquiring new mining equipment and mechanisms, and, next year, we plan to invest 8 billion rubles,” Mechel PAO’s Chief Executive Officer, Oleg Korzhov, said. “We are faced with a strategic task to restore stripping pace, increase mining and washing volumes. This new equipment will enable us to reduce outages caused by repairs, and boost output at our facilities in Irkutsk Region, Yakutia and Kuzbass.

“Considering steady demand and favourable price trends on commodity markets that we see over the past several quarters, it is very important for us to ensure production growth.”