Australia’s oldest continually operating coal mine, the Metropolitan Mine, has taken a major step towards meeting its future production targets with the delivery of a new Joy 7LS2A shearer from Komatsu, the OEM says.

Now in production, this shearer will work alongside Metropolitan’s existing Joy 7LS2A shearer, enabling the mine, owned by Peabody Energy, to optimise operations in and meet its evolving needs in the years ahead.

The Joy 7LS2A and Joy 7LS2B shearers come with a cutting height of 1.6-3.5 m and machine weight of 59,000 kg.

The Metropolitan mine, in New South Wales, produced 2.2 Mt of coal in 2023. Historically the mine has produced a mixture of coking, PCI and thermal coal.

Komatsu said on this shearer deployment: “At Komatsu, we are dedicated to building lasting partnerships that go beyond equipment delivery. By understanding and aligning with our customers’ goals, we aim to provide solutions that support sustainability and operational excellence.”