The New South Wales-based company, which recently floated on the Australian Securities Exchange, said it had placed the orders for the new equipment to give it an edge in the increasingly competitive contractor market.

Delta SBD chief executive officer Stephen Bizzaca said: “The new equipment ensures that Delta SBD is well placed to future growth for roadway development and longwall move projects by providing fit-for-purpose equipment and hence adding value to our clients’ mining operations which is not available from other contractors.”

The company’s new equipment includes one Joy 12CM30 bolter continuous miner; one Bucyrus FBL60 and two Bucyrus FBL15 diesel loaders; two Bucyrus 55 tonne, 2 metre hydraulic power-assist chock trailers; and one Industrea 130t diesel shearer transporter.

Most of the new equipment will be progressively delivered between August and December 2011.

The Joy continuous miner, which is scheduled for delivery in July 2012, will give Delta SBD a competitive advantage by utilising the latest available technology to provide safe and productive outcomes for its clients, Bizacca said.

It will be the company’s second continuous miner. The first, a Bucyrus 30MB, is permanently deployed at Berrima mine in NSW, where Delta has a five year whole of mine operation under contract from Boral.

The new continuous miner will be deployed at one of the mines at which Delta is tendering for work. Additional continuous miner units are also being considered for some of these tenders.

The new longwall move diesel equipment – loaders, chock transports and shearer transport – will be the largest and the only equipment of such large capacity available for service in Australia, the company claims.

It says the equipment has been specifically designed to work effectively with the new large and heavy longwall installations being procured by Delta’s clients and has been ordered to ensure Delta maintains its position as the only Australian contractor that can provide a full service offering for longwall moves.

“New longwalls are getting bigger and we believe that existing equipment in the market place will be beyond safe working limits if used with this larger longwall equipment,” Bizzaca said.

“We have placed these orders so we will remain at the forefront in safety and productivity, which are the key issues for longwall moves.”