Vale Australian coal operations director Michael Mapp this week congratulated the Carborough team and the expansion project personnel for their efforts in successfully and safely bringing the longwall online.

The $A130 million longwall system is part of a $400 million expansion of the mine from a bord and pillar operation to longwall. The mine aims to produce 4.9 million tonnes per annum.

The roof support system includes 149 1200-tonne capacity Tagor roof supports with Tiefenbach electro-hydraulic control systems. The supports have a working height 3.5-5.3m.

The 300m armoured face conveyor and beam stage loader were supplied by Inbye Mining Systems and can clear 4500t of coal per hour.

The Eickhoff SL1000 shearer with twin 2.6m diameter cutting drums can cut up to 4500tph. It is the first SL1000 model installed in Australia.

The longwall system also incorporates one of the first commercial installations of LASC (LASC Longwall Automation Steering Committee).

The automation package includes a shearer position monitoring system, shield control automated face alignment module, and the shearer control INS-based automated horizon control module.

The longwall will cut 4.5m of the 5.5m high Leichhardt seam traversing a 300m wide face. Longwall blocks will be 1700m long.

Vale’s Carborough Downs joint venture partners include Nippon Steel, POSCO, Tata Steel, JFE Steel and JFE Shoji.