New Hope CEO Reinhold Schmidt said Bengalla production was down slightly on the previous year, due to the midlife shutdown of the dragline for scheduled maintenance, however, the operation was back to full production and well positioned for the future.
"The transfer of an EX5500 excavator from New Acland has provided Bengalla with a reliable swing digger and further enhanced the capacity of the site's truck and shovel fleet," he said.
Schmidt said the company's flagship Bengalla operation remained focused on safe, consistent production and maximising low-ash, high energy product, taking advantage of the rising index price environment.
"As we move into the new financial year, the focus for Bengalla is continuous improvement initiatives that focus on equipment utilisation and productivity while maintaining a safe operating environment for our team," he said.
New Hope's production of saleable coal declined from 11.3 million tonnes in FY2020 to 9.6Mt in FY2021.
The company reduced underlying free-on-board cash costs to $63.70 per tonne as a result of savings implemented at both Bengalla and the New Acland mine in Queensland, and the rationalisation of the Brisbane corporate office.
Schmidt said the uncertainty of approvals for its New Acland Stage 3 and its transition to care and maintenance continued to impact the broader business.
"Production has steadily declined at New Acland as existing extraction areas are exhausted and the site moves towards care and maintenance at the end of the 2021 calendar year," he said.
"The workforce at New Acland is doing an outstanding job in the meantime, continuing to safely produce quality coal and expertly managing the ongoing rehabilitation process."
Schmidt said the company's future remained positive with strong demand for its product to continue and coal prices expected to remain at historically high levels for some time to come.
"The restructure of our corporate office has resulted in a more agile, refocused and efficient business environment, more suited to the needs of the company overall," he said.
"Sustained cost management across the business will bring a continuation of the improved results we achieved in the second half of this financial year.
"Our focus for the future remains on safe and efficient production at existing operations and a commitment to maintaining long-term relationships with our suppliers and customers."
