Bucyrus has received an order for a highwall miner from India – the first technology of its kind in the country. The machine will be operated by Cuprum Bagrodia (CB) of Kolkata at SECL’s Sharda OC project and is expected to commence operation during the Q4, 2010. The operation contains multiple horizontal coal seams with heights of 0.80-1.80 m under an overburden of up to 75 m. Projected production capacity for the machine at the mine is 600,000 t/y.

The mining method at Sharda will be trench mining, which requires a minimum removal of overburden compared to traditional open-pit methods. The scope of supply for this contract consists of a complete highwall mining system with low seam cutter module, diesel-generator set, and training. The miner is being adapted to the mine conditions, and the cutter module provided with a fiber-optic gyro system to ensure straight drives and consistent pillar width. The system is modified to comply with the requirements for DGMS approval.

SECL is the largest coal producing company in India, with a yearly production of around 100 Mt. It is one of the eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL). Bucyrus has previously directly supplied SECL with the first 42 m3 electric rope shovels to be purchased in India as well as room and pillar equipment, hydraulic excavators, and smaller electric rope shovels. Bucyrus’ diverse product range now covers all surface and underground mining equipment requirements.

In the course of the acquisition of Terex Mining, Bucyrus acquired the Beckley, West Virginia, USA based highwall mining company, formerly known as Terex SHM, in February 2010. Bucyrus highwall miners is market leader in its field, with presently over 65 highwall mining systems sold worldwide, including Russia and Australia.