The company said on Tuesday that the yield percentage is a jump of more than 50% compared to its previous toll washing.

Novadx’s clean production is fully committed for 2012 under existing coal sales contracts ranging between $US150 and $180 per tonne. The company also has 30,000t of raw coal and 5,000t washed clean coal in inventory, an approximate market value of $4 million.

“This considerable improvement in yield means higher margins and stronger cash flow from operations,” president and chief executive Neil MacDonald said.

“As we gain more experience with the wash plant and evaluate options to recover finer coal, we expect to further improve the wash plant's yield of recovered coal.”

The plant produces three size fractions, including a two inch plus, a 0.1875in (3/16) by 2in, and a 0.0059in (100 mesh) by 0.1875in (3/16) product. They are then blended to meet product specifications on customer orders.

The aggregate recovery of these fractions represent the 90% recoverable raw average down to a .0059in (100 mesh) particle size.

Gross coal recovery hinges upon the raw coal’s ash content, which can range from 25% to more than 40% depending on specific mining conditions. It is typically 30-35%, reflecting a gross coal recovery of 60-65%.

“The wash plant was designed with the capability of adding additional circuits to recover coal below the .0059in (100 mesh) particle size to further increase recovery rates,” officials said.

“The company plans to evaluate the addition of these circuits, with a view to increase the realized revenue from the raw coal beyond the currently attained levels.”

Novadx and its wholly owned subsidiary MCoal operate the Rosa coal mine and are developing the Rex No.1 coal mine in Campbell County, Tennessee.