BEUMER Group has been selected by Warrior Met Coal to support the expansion of Blue Creek mine, a new state-of-the-art underground longwall mine producing steelmaking coal.

The extracted coal is to be processed on surface in a coal preparation plant before being moved over 14 km to a train loadout station.

The BEUMER Group recently secured the order from Warrior to design and supply a single-flight curved overland conveyor for this 1,500 short ton per hour transport system.

Daniel Schmillenkamp, CEO of BEUMER Group Canada, said: “In cooperation with Warrior, we addressed the project-specific challenges. The design and implementation are a testament to our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions.”

The project presented some challenges due to the difficult and hilly terrain of the proposed transport corridor, BEUMER says. To find the most efficient solution, Warrior explored various transportation methods, including rail, troughed and pipe conveyor systems. Over the past 12 months, BEUMER Group worked closely with Warrior to identify the most economical and technically feasible transport method and optimal route, resulting in a single conventionally troughed conveyor with 18 horizontal curves.

Philip Saunders, Senior VP Engineering at Warrior, said: “BEUMER’s holistic approach and our very close working relationship allowed us to expedite the design and procurement phase to move toward the completion of this time-sensitive project at a pace rarely seen in the coal or mining industries.”

BEUMER is responsible for engineering and procurement of all structural and mechanical components and multiple E-Houses with VFDs, MCCs and PLC control systems. The conveyor system will use nine load-sharing drives to limit the overall belt tension.

BEUMER’s Director of Sales, Peter Sehl, said this project uses innovative and proprietary conveyor engineering and design tools to support the fast construction schedule. “With over 5,000 tons of steel for ground modules and elevated sections, 47% of the conveyor flight will be elevated to avoid natural features and minimise earthworks,” he said.

The overland conveyor is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

With the addition of Blue Creek, Warrior expects to increase its annual High Vol A production by 4.8 million short tons; enhance its already advantageous position on the global cost curve; drive its cash costs further into the first quartile globally; improve its profitability and cash flow generation; and cement its position as a leading pure play steelmaking coal producer, the coal producer says.