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Gujarat is hoping to have the longwall mine up and running by the end of this month.
The company said it had worked closely with various department agencies to ensure the SMP approval was received in a timely manner in preparation for production.
Gujarat still needs to submit information relating to measures aimed at protecting the environment before longwall mining can commence.
Once longwall mining begins at NRE No.1, Gujarat will have both its mines in the Illawarra under longwall operations.
Gujarat executive chairman Arun Kumar Jagatramka welcomed the approval which he believed was an indication of the company’s willingness to get the mine into longwall production promptly.
“The grant of approval to commence longwall production at NRE No.1 mine vindicates our commitment and belief to have the two hard coking coal mines under longwall operations before the end of March 2012,” he said.
“It is further significant due to the fact that the commencement of longwall production in NRE No.1 mine not only ensures the future growth of the company on a higher trajectory but also secures the permanent employment of more than 600 employees working for the company in Illawarra.”
The NRE No. 1 longwall start-up date was originally scheduled for December 2011 but the producer encountered problems sourcing some longwall moving equipment.
The mine is targeted to produce around 3 million tonnes per annum of coal by 2015.
