Tag Archives: metallurgical coal

WCM’s Woodhouse Colliery met coal project heads for site work

Coal technology, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining policy, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

West Cumbria Mining says the UK Government has agreed with Cumbria County Council’s decision to approve the planning application for its Woodhouse Colliery project in the northeast of England and has lifted its “holding direction”.

The decision means the company can make plans to commence site works later this year at the metallurgical coal project.

Cumbria County Council (CCC) Development Control and Regulation Committee, in October, resolved again to grant planning approval to West Cumbria Mining (WCM) to develop the project. This was the second such time the council had approved the project, following a formal approval back in March 2019.

Even with this approval in tow, the UK government could have stepped in to further scrutinise CCC’s sign off – a move they decided not to employ.

CEO Mark Kirkbride said on hearing the news: “I am delighted that the holding direction has been lifted following what has been an extremely rigorous planning process. My team and I are now looking forward to concluding planning signoff and then being able to commence preparatory steps to begin site work later this year.”

When the CCC approval was granted, WCM said it anticipated starting site work early in 2021 (before spring), with initial coal production commencing around 18 months from the start of construction.

Once the Woodhouse Colliery moves into the operational phase, the company plans to extract and process around 2.7 Mt/y of metallurgical coal from the operation, focused on supplying UK and international steelmaking plants.

Run-out and pocket extraction will be the chosen mining method at Woodhouse as this is a proven, highly versatile coal mining method that takes advantage of advancements in mining technology to mitigate risks associated with the Cumbrian Coal fields, the company says.

The technique includes the use of bolter miners to develop the gate roads for the panel, with a bolter miner then driving a run-out roadway. A continuous miner subsequently cuts chevron cut pockets into the pillars, while the roof is supported. Shuttle cars continuously move coal from the respective continuous miners to the feeder breaker and, once coal has passed through the feeder breaker, it falls onto the underground conveyor belt to be taken to surface.

Once processed, the coal at Woodhouse will be transported to the railway loading facility (RLF) in the Pow Beck Valley, near Mirehouse, via an underground conveyor buried in a concrete box culvert, which will mitigate any visual, noise or dust issues between the mine site and RLF, in recognition of the sensitivity of the area, WCM says.

WEG helps ventilate MMK’s Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine in Russia

Coal technology, Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , ,

WEG Electric CIS, a subsidiary of WEG based in St Petersburg, has been awarded a contract to supply two flame-proof motors for the primary ventilation system of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine in Russia.

Partnering with Ventprom, a manufacturer of underground ventilation equipment, WEG has developed unique, explosion-proof motors to meet the challenging conditions of a large-scale mining environment, it says.

The Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine, in Belovo, is managed by MMK-Ugol, which produces around 3.4 Mt/y of coal, 2.8 Mt of which is used for steel production.

Working with Ventprom, WEG has designed a new motor that has been manufactured specifically to operate in this environment, it said.

Due to the nature of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya environment, off-the-shelf motors would not suffice, according to WEG. To overcome this, WEG applied its expertise in motor design to develop a bespoke solution, with increased lifespan compared with more generic motors.

Using a tube-cooling design, WEG came up with two flame-proof motors that could operate effectively when fully enclosed. As opposed to air cooling, the motors minimise heat by using cooling tubes inside the motor’s frame.

As part of the commission, WEG also developed a unique bearing arrangement to endure the high loads and inertia of the application. The two flame-proof motors, which operated at an output of 2,400 kW, were customised specifically for deployment in the mining environment.

The two motors meet Customs Union certification, a standard for countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The motors also adhere to EACEx standards, the Eurasian conformity certification for explosion-proof products, according to WEG.

They were designed and manufactured for Chertinskaya-Koksovaya by WEG Portugal at one of the company’s European manufacturing facilities in Maia. The factory is one of two production sites in Portugal and specialises in the production of explosion-proof motors.

Ihor Sapa, Business Development of Russia and CIS countries at WEG Portugal, said: “Customised products are not necessarily a luxury, but a necessity in some sectors. For this project, developing a bespoke motor was essential. In the environment of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine, the motors needed to be flame-proof and expertly designed.

“Thankfully, WEG Portugal is highly experienced in the manufacture of explosion-protected solutions.

“WEG’s customer-focused approach and the attention given to customers’ individual needs proves that WEG is prepared to address the requirements of unique and complicated projects – including underground mining and classified area products.”

Conuma Coal chooses Komatsu 830E-5 electric drive haul trucks for Wolverine

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

Conuma Coal Resources has replaced a fleet of haul trucks at its Wolverine metallurgical coal mine, in British Columbia, Canada, with five new Komatsu electric 830E-5 models supplied by dealer SMS Equipment.

Conuma said it carried out “comprehensive engineering and financial analysis” on this move and determined the deployment of the new trucks would “meaningfully increase production” at the mine, largely due to their improved overall availability. Contributing factors included easier maintenance and higher durability, while the 830E-5’s are also quieter and more fuel-efficient than the existing haul trucks, according to the company.

John Schadan, Conuma’s President, said: “Conuma is confident that we have chosen the right partners for results with Komatsu equipment and SMS Equipment’s parts, service and support. Their proven results and experience speak to the quality of their products and service.”

The first 227 t-payload 830E-5 was released to the mine, which produces more than 1.5 Mt/y of hard coking coal, at the end of August, and the remainder of the fleet will be delivered over the next two months. The new trucks complement existing equipment that SMS Equipment supports on Conuma’s mine sites, the companies said.

Dennis Chmielewski, EVP of Mining at SMS Equipment, said: “SMS Equipment is committed to working with Conuma through the long term to ensure full support, resulting in maximised uptime and availability of their Komatsu fleet.”

The Komatsu 830E-5 electric truck is a leader in the 250-ton (227 t) class market with proven durability and reliability, according to the mining OEM. Powered by a 2,500 hp (1,864 kW) Komatsu SDA16V160 engine, the drive system provides efficient transfer of power to the ground while realising low fuel consumption and excellent reliability, it added.