The Australian federal government has appointed Simtars to manage the Australia-China project at the Xuandong coal mine, 150km from Beijing.
Simtars says the mine will showcase Australian mine safety technology.
Training and education in risk management will be provided at the demonstration mine, which Simtars says will adopt leading practices and technologies in order to minimise injuries and fatalities.
The safety body expects the lessons learned at Xuandong will set new standards for mine safety in China.
“Simtars is recognised as a world leader in cutting-edge mine safety and health technology and exports that expertise to many countries,” Simtars director Paul Harrison said.
“Managing the Xuandong project reinforces Simtars’ reputation as a leader in mine safety and technology both within Australia and around the world.”
The first team of Australian mine safety experts flew over to the mine in April to undertake a safety audit.
Safety areas examined included:
Geology, hydrology, seam gas and geotechnical aspects,
Condition of surface and underground mining environments,
Extent and condition of infrastructure and mining equipment,
Gas management and ventilation,
Mining and supporting technologies,
Management processes,
Existing safety management systems and policies,
Competency levels of the workforce, and
Emergency response and emergency preparedness.
The upcoming report will lead to the development of risk abatement strategies and a mine safety management system, along with a training and technical cooperation program.
The mine safety demonstration project is part of the Coal Mine Health and Safety project under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
The project also falls under a memorandum of understanding on coal mine safety signed by the Australian and Chinese governments back in April 2006.
The Australian government has chipped in $A5 million for the project, while China’s State Administration of Work Safety and the owner of the Xuandong mine will also make contributions.
New safety regulations this year have reduced coking coal output from China’s small mines sector, creating unexpected demand for Australian coal exports during the ongoing global financial crisis.
Austrade’s China-based senior trade commissioner, Jeff Turner, told ILN the majority of underground Chinese coal mines had large volumes of gas, with gas drainage and monitoring equipment being particularly sought after.
Industrea managing director and chief executive officer Robin Levison agreed, saying sales of the company’s methane gas drainage system had been increasing in line with moves to improve safety in the Chinese industry.
Levison also told ILN Beijing had introduced a tax on coal to fund the purchasing of safety equipment, bolstering demand for Industrea’s equipment.
China’s coal industry claims thousands of lives every year.
The biggest accident so far this year was an underground gas explosion in February at the Tunlan Colliery in northern Shanxi Province, which killed 78 people and injured 114.
