Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business aims to triple its coal production by 2020, primarily from its assets in Australia’s Bowen Basin, with additional contributions from Canada’s Peace River region. While each major growth project could be developed in isolation, Anglo American and Hatch have developed a new program management approach to align all projects as elements of a planned strategy that takes advantage of the experience and design commonalities of past successful projects. Designed to improve cost and scheduling efficiencies, project ramp-up operability, and risk management, the strategy will include a standard longwall design and a common coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) design.

Hatch is currently involved in several projects in the portfolio, including a range of conceptual study work, feasibility studies, and full EPCM services – in particular for the $1.7 billion greenfield Grosvenor project. Construction of the 5 Mt/y underground longwall operation is expected to begin in 2012, with full commissioning planned for 2016.