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 JULY/AUGUST 2022 VOL. 127 NO. 6

NEWS/4 BLUEFIELD COAL SHOW/19

feature articles
19 Bluef ield Coal Show Returns
Organizers expects thousands to attend
regional coal show

24 Appalachian Suppliers Offer Top

Scoop Solutions
Highland Machinery Corp. and Grace Equipment
Co. each have a superior solution for those
looking to buy new and those looking to rebuild
SHUTTLE CARS & SCOOPS/24 HAUL TRUCKS/30

30 Electrification, Tire Solutions Seek

to Win Acceptance

leading developments
4 Peabody Reports Record Revenue for Q2 2022
5 South Africa’s Just Transition

this issue
5 Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority
in Regulating Emissions

u.s. news
6 Arch Resources Reports Record Coking
Coal Realizations
7 Hallador Ramps Up in Indiana
11 Production Begins at Carnegie No. 2 Mine
This month, Coal Age reviews haulage systems for underground
11 Blue Sky Remediates and Repurposes Coal Waste and open-pit operations. On the cover, a scoop operator trams
12 Methane Ignition Occurs at Ramaco Resources’ toward the section. (Photo: Highland Machinery).
Berwind Mine
12 Alliance Plans to Add Capacity

worldwide news
8 Bowen Begins Mining at Broadmeadow East
8 Teck Provides Steelmaking Coal Sales and departments
Pricing Update 2 Editorial
8 India’s NTPC Moves Forward With New 4 Leading Developments News
Coal-fired Power Plant 6 U.S. News
8 Worldwide News
9 Queensland Increases Royalties on Coal Operators
10 Developments to Watch
9 Germany to Stop Buying Russian Coal
12 Dateline Washington
14 Coal Developer Files $3.4B Lawsuit 34 Operating Ideas
Against Alberta 36 Suppliers News
14 Japan’s JERA to Start New Coal-fired Power Plant 37 Product News
14 China Considers Ending Australian Coal Ban 39 Classifieds
14 Indonesia to Fill Russian Coal Supply Gap 40 Marketwatch
14 India’s Coal Imports Hit Record High in June
14 Drax Will Keep Its Coal-fired Power Plant Open
in the UK

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 1

editor’s note
U.S. Congress Passes Inflation
Reduction Act
A cruel irony is that legislation sometimes has the
opposite effect of its intention. If that’s the case
with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, then taxpayers
and businesses alike should brace themselves. Senator
Joe Manchin (D-WV) played a starring role as the dra-
ma unfolded. He won kudos for standing up to Build
Back Better, forcing the Democratic caucus to repack-
age a slimmed down version of it as the Inflation Re-
duction Act of 2022, which passed along partisan lines.
BY STEVE FISCOR Manchin initially refused to support the Inflation
PUBLISHER & Reduction Act of 2022, too, before doing an about-face
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
during the first week of August. The coal operators of
West Virginia knew this would happen. As the mainstream media was try-
ing to portray Manchin as some kind of coal darling, coal operators were
having none of it on social media. Fiery comments on several LinkedIn
posts that touted Manchin’s support for West Virginia’s coal and natural gas
sectors warned people that he fakes right and goes left every time. Their
posts appear to be prophetic now.
Manchin claimed he supported the legislation because it doesn’t pick
winners and losers. He said he supports all of the above, meaning coal,
natural gas, nuclear, etc., when it comes to power generation, and the legis-
lation will advance a “realistic energy and climate policy that lowers prices
today and strategically invests in the long game.” He said he didn’t want
to undermine the U.S. by removing dependable and affordable fossil fuel
energy before new technologies were ready to reliably carry the load. Even
though he said “this legislation ensures that the market will take the lead,
rather than aspirational political agendas or unrealistic goals,” the truth is
that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 offers substantial subsidiaries that
tilt the scales in favor of renewable programs that seem to fail to deliver
energy when it’s needed most.
The Inflation Reduction Act could raise $739 billion through a corpo-
rate minimum tax of 15%, prescription drug pricing reform and tax col-
lection enforcement. With $369 billion going toward energy security and
climate change and $64 billion toward an extension of the Affordable Care
Act, Congress will have $300 billion to apply toward the U.S. deficit.
On the surface, it looks like left-leaning policymakers are taking money
from large corporations, Big Pharma, and wealthy Americans, and redis-
tributing it to their constituents that support the Green New Deal. Those
decisions will likely drive up energy costs as well as the cost of doing busi-
ness in general, which will ultimately drive inflation higher.
Steve Fiscor, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
sfiscor@mining-media.com
2 www.coalage.com May 2016
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leading developments
Peabody Reports Record Revenue for Q2 2022
Revenue for Peabody Energy increased
by more 80% to $1.3 billion compared
to the prior year quarter, due to higher
realized prices in every segment.
“For the first time as a public com-
pany, cash exceeds our debt balance,”
said Peabody President and CEO Jim
Grech. “While we expect a strong sec-
ond half, severe July rains in Australia
will impact third quarter production,
sales, and costs, and we have revised
full year expectations to reflect these
continuing challenges.” The com-
pany’s second quarter 2022 results
included a $24.5 million charge for
unrealized mark-to-market losses re-
lated to its coal hedging activities.
The world’s largest publicly-held
coal producer reported adjusted
EBITDA of $578 million, the highest
quarterly result in more than a de-
cade, as a result of record seaborne
pricing. With $342 million of free cash
flow, its cash balance exceeds its total
long-term debt by $74 million.
During the second quarter, Pea-
body shipped the first metallurgical
coal from Moorvale South in Austra-
lia. The Shoal Creek mine in Alabama
completed set-up and commenced
St. Louis-based Peabody Energy posted its best quarterly financial results in more than a decade.
4 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
production on the J2 longwall panel.
The company said it continues to as-
sess development of 70 million tons of
the southern reserves at North Goo-
nyella. It increased 2023 Powder River
Basin (PRB) sales to 68 million tons.
During the second quarter, Pea-
body’s seaborne thermal segment
shipped 4 million tons and increased
export tons 22% to 2.2 million tons
compared to the first quarter. The av-
erage export realized price increased
21% to $143.43/ton, despite 264,000
metric tons (mt) sold at $84/mt under
the hedge program, which extended
the life of the Wambo underground
mine. Second quarter seaborne ther-
mal segment costs of $43.85/ton were
higher primarily due to higher sales
price, sensitive costs, and fuel prices.
Substantial rain and COVID impacts
during the quarter reduced overbur-
den removal productivity by 18%,
which will impact second half volume.
Wilpinjong shipped 3.3 million
tons at an average realized price of $85/
ton, which included 1.5 million tons
of export sales at an average realized
price of $167/ton and 1.8 million do-
mestic tons. Average Wilpinjong costs
of $33.50/ton were 19% higher than the
prior quarter due to higher sales price,
sensitive costs, and fuel prices.
Peabody’s seaborne met seg-
ment shipped 1.6 million tons at an
average realized price of $330.56/
ton, a 28% increase in realized prices
compared to the first quarter. Tons
sold increased by approximately
400,000 tons, with higher production
volume from the Coppabella and
Moorvale Joint Venture. Total seg-
ment costs of $144.91/ton increased
28% from the prior quarter primarily
due to higher costs at Shoal Creek
from the transition to the J2 longwall
panel, completion of a longwall move
at Metropolitan, sales price, sensitive
costs, and higher fuel prices.
The company’s PRB operations
shipped 18.5 million tons at an av-
erage realized price of $12.44/ton in
the second quarter. Tons sold for the
quarter were impacted by further deg-
radation of PRB rail performance, re-
sulting in 4 million less tons shipped
than ordered by customers. PRB costs
per ton increased by 6% over the pri-
or quarter to $12.55/ton primarily
due to lower production volume and
higher fuel costs.
During the second quarter, Pea-
body’s other U.S. thermal segment,
which includes Twentymile and its
Midwest Operations, shipped 4.4 mil-
lion tons at an average realized price
of $51.40/ton, a 6% increase in real-
ized prices compared to the first quar-
ter. Costs per ton increased 2% due to
higher repair spend and fuel prices.
Peabody lowered its full year sea-
borne thermal guidance by 1.0-1.3
million tons due to the impacts on
productivity from rain and COVID ab-
senteeism delaying re-establishment of
mine sequencing, saying it expects third
quarter export volume to be 1.8 million
tons, with 1.1 million tons priced at
$147/ton (including 264,000 mt hedged
at $84/mt). Approximately 500,000 tons
 leading developments continued

from Wilpinjong and 200,000 tons from
Wambo remain unpriced.
The company said full-year sea-
borne met volume was expected to be
toward the high end of previous guid-
ance. Peabody lowered its PRB vol-
ume guidance by 5-8 million tons due
to increasingly weak rail performance.
Meanwhile, the other U.S. thermal
volumes have been increased 500,000
tons due to increased demand.
Supreme Court Limits EPA’s
Authority in Regulating Emissions
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled in favor of 19 states hoping
to review the scope of the U.S. En-
vironmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) authority to regulate green-
house gas emissions. The question
at hand in West Virginia v. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) was
Leading Developments Continued on Page 10

South Africa’s Just Transition

By Gavin du Venage, South African Editor
South Africa will push further into renewable energy sources, but
it is becoming increasingly clear that coal, the main source of the
country’s electricity, is not going away anytime soon. In late July, a
gathering of industry leaders came together for a ‘Just Transition
Day’ that was held in Johannesburg under the auspices of Jo’burg
Indaba, a mining industry showcase.
The ‘Just Transition’ is the term adopted by both coal min-
ers and the government, as they work towards preserving a vital
industry in the face of fierce environmental opposition. The coun-
try is also undergoing severe power cuts as its fleet of coal-fired
power plants suffer frequent breakdowns.
“We are not climate change deniers” said Mike Teke, CEO
of Seriti Resources a coal mining company. “But we want to play
a role in the energy mix of the future.” Coal producers could ex-
tend their lives by serving foreign markets and encouraging clean
technologies such as emissions scrubbers to remove pollutants.
Other emissions-heavy industries such as the automotive
sector have undertaken fitting devices to vehicles to reduce their
carbon output. So too could the coal industry, Teke said. “It’s pos-
sible to retrofit carbon capture. We do the same thing with plati-
num converters we fit to cars to remove emissions, why can’t we
do the same with coal plants?”
South Africa has vast coal resources and it relies on it
80% of its electricity generation. Replacing the electricity fleet
is impractical. “We are not going to shut all 16 coal-fired power
plants — it’s simply not going to happen,” Teke said.
South Africa is a major contributor to the global coal trade.
Around 260 million metric tons (mt) is produced each year, of
which 127 million mt is used for local energy production, accord-
ing to the Department of Minerals and Energy.
The country has added significant renewable generation to
its power grid, yet still faces ongoing electricity shortages, noted
Vuslat Bayoglu, managing director of Menar, a junior coal produc-
er. “We have added 6,000 megawatts (MW) of renewables, but it
hasn’t ended loadshedding. And, another 6,000 MW won’t solve
the problem either. How do you grow this country’s economy with-
out baseload?”
Crispian Olver, a presidential adviser on climate change
noted that the country had yet to draw exit dates for when it would
go carbon-free. While many had set benchmarks such as 2050 as
the deadline, South Africa had deliberately avoided doing so.
“We have not, as a country, put our head on the block re-
garding timeline,” Olver said. “But for conversation’s sake we are
Eskom’s Arnot power plant operates six 350-MW units in Mpumalanga.
talking about 2050,” he said. Meanwhile, state electricity provid-
er Eskom would have to make difficult decisions.
For some, the prospect of ending coal was an unlikely goal
given South Africa’s dependence on it. “Even if South Africa was
to cover every roof with solar, it still won’t meet electricity de-
mand,” said Brian Dames, a former Eskom CEO.
Further complicating the picture, most of South Africa’s coal
is produced in the Mpumalanga province in the east of the coun-
try. This means that electricity produced travels 950 miles by wire
to Cape Town, at the far southwest of South Africa.
Instead, coal should continue to be used where it is mined,
close to the country’s industrial heartland. Other centers of elec-
tricity demand could graduate to other forms of generation, con-
nected via a ‘mini grid,’ Dames said.
However, renewables, including solar plants in the sunny
Northern Cape province, couldn’t end power cuts. “We can build
all the renewables we want; it won’t stop loadshedding, only re-
duce it. We will still need good old fashion coal plants.”
The point regarding the limitations of renewables was ham-
mered home by Grant Pattison, managing director for Africa at
Heliogen, a California-based energy company that specializes in
concentrated solar power.
“When the renewable guys tell you they are the cheapest,
that’s wrong,” Pattison told the forum. “To replace 30 GW (South
Africa’s approximate demand), we will need 90 GW in renewables,
and that’s with battery storage.” This was an impossible task,
especially as the country could not service its power needs with
its existing infrastructure.
“I don’t think we will be putting in 90 GW of energy in 15
years. And we certainly won’t find anyone to finance it.”
Which meant that environmentalists were going to have to
accept that renewables were unlikely to meet the country’s needs
alone, now or in the future, Pattison said. “Environmentalists
need to pick. Along with renewables we need either coal or nucle-
ar. We can’t rely on wind and solar alone.”

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 5

u.s. news
Arch Resources Reports Record Coking
Coal Realizations
Day shift gathers at the Leer South mine.
Arch Resources reported net income
of $407.6 million for the second quar-
ter of 2022, record net income for
the third straight quarter. The com-
pany reported a net income of $27.9
million during the second quarter of
2021. In addition to achieved record
coking coal realizations during the
quarter, the company reduced its to-
tal indebtedness by $135.8 million, or
42.1%, resulting in a net positive cash
position of $94.9 million.
“During the second quarter, the
Arch team delivered another strong
financial performance — with record
net income, record coking coal realiza-
tions and record coking coal margins
— despite continuing rail service chal-
lenges and isolated geologic issues in
our core metallurgical segment,” said
Arch President and CEO Paul Lang.
Arch generated strong margins in
both its core metallurgical and legacy
thermal segments during the second
quarter despite ongoing rail service
disruptions, mounting inflationary
pressures, and isolated geologic issues
in its coking coal portfolio, explained
Arch COO John Drexler. “Even with
localized, tougher-than-expected
cutting conditions in the second pan-
el at Leer South, the metallurgical
segment continued to build coking
coal inventories during the quarter,”
6 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
Drexler said. “With 1.1 million tons
of high-value coking coal in our mine
and port stockpiles at quarter-end and
the expectation of much-improved
geologic conditions at Leer South be-
ginning in late August, we fully expect
to capitalize on still-strong market
conditions as rail service recovers.”
During the second quarter, Arch
sold 17.8 million tons of thermal coal
and 2.1 million tons of coking coal. The
coking coal sold for an average price of
$286.40/ton and the cash costs were
$98.95/ton, generating a record profit
margin of $187.45/ton. This compares
to 2 million tons sold in the second
quarter of 2021 at an average price of
$89.71/ton. With cash costs of $59.37 at
the time, the margin was $30.34/ton.
Despite a sequential stepdown in
shipments during the second quarter,
which is typically the weakest ship-
ping period of the year in the Powder
River Basin, Arch said its legacy ther-
mal segment again generated robust
amounts of cash.
While global metallurgical coal
markets have softened considerably
in recent weeks, coking coal prices
remain at exceptionally strong lev-
els in historic terms. Arch’s primary
product, High-Vol A coking coal, has
dropped to $249 per metric ton (mt)
on the U.S. East Coast. The principal
driver behind the recent erosion in
coking coal market dynamics, Arch
believes, is slowing economic growth
across most of the world, which is
having the predictable knock-on ef-
fect on global steel markets.
However, Arch sees other market
dynamics that are acting to support
global coking coal markets at present.
The first of these is still-weak coking
coal production and shipping levels
globally. Coking coal exports out of
Australia — traditionally the source
of more than 50% of seaborne coking
coal supply — continue to under-
shoot already weak 2021 levels, with
export volumes down approximately
5 million tons, or roughly 7%, year-to-
date. Additionally, the war in Ukraine
threatens to trim Russian coking coal
export levels, particularly once the
EU’s ban on Russian coal imports
takes effect in a few weeks. Elsewhere,
U.S. and Canadian export levels are
up only modestly year-to-date, de-
spite exceptionally strong pricing lev-
els through the year’s first half.
Another potential support mecha-
nism for the global coking coal market
is a still-strong international thermal
market. The price for thermal coal in
Australia is currently around $415/mt,
and the thermal price in northern Eu-
rope stands at approximately $390/mt.
As a result of that nearly unprecedented
negative spread between metallurgical
and thermal prices, Arch recently sold
a vessel of its High-Vol B coking coal
to a European thermal customer for
delivery in the fourth quarter at a price
significantly above the U.S. East Coast
metallurgical marks, and is actively ex-
ploring other such opportunities.
In addition, Arch continues to cap-
italize on exceptionally strong inter-
national thermal market conditions
directly through the export of thermal
volumes from its West Elk and – to a
 u.s. news continued

lesser extent – Black Thunder mines.
While rail service remains a signifi-
cant barrier to moving additional vol-
umes to energy-short international
customers, Arch still anticipates ship-
ping an incremental 600,000 tons of
West Elk coal and nearly 500,000 tons
of Black Thunder coal into interna-
tional markets in the second half of
2022 at exceptional price levels.
Hallador Ramps Up in Indiana
Hallador Energy’s subsidiary, Sunrise
Coal, announced a new investment
in Knox County, Indiana, with the re-
opening of the Freelandville surface
mine. Mining activities are expected
to commence immediately.
Sunrise Coal is currently hiring
200 new employees in the area. They
are seeking experienced and non-ex-
perienced personnel for both their
underground and surface operations.
The company is offering a $3,000 sign-
on retention with $1,500 paid after
their fifth month anniversary the final
$1,500 paid after their 11th month an-
niversary, weekly paid wages of up to
$30 per hour (after 90-days of service),
paid vacation, family health insurance,
supplemental dental and vision, life
insurance and exclusive access to Hal-
lador’s wellness and medical clinic (free
to all Hallador employees and families).
Presently, new hires who complete re-
quired MSHA training with Sunrise
receive a $750 gift card as a training in-
centive after 30 days of employment.
Hallador recently signed new coal
contracts that materially increases
its fourth quarter 2022 through 2023
pricing and volume. The new con-
tract calls for Hallador to ship 1.6 mil-
lion tons of Illinois Basin (ILB) coal at
$42/ton during the third quarter of
2022. The tonnage is the same as the
second quarter, but the price per ton
increases $2/ton. During the fourth
quarter of 2022, they will ship 1.8
million tons at $56.50/ton. For 2013,
the tonnage per quarter remains the
same at 1.8 million tons, but the price
increases to $58.50/ton.
The company said the increased $36/ton for the fourth quarter of 2022
production will come from its existing through 2023. The company also noted
Oaktown mining complex, Hallador’s the additional coal volumes create add-
new Prosperity Surface mine near Pe- ed pressure on transportation networks
tersburg, Indiana, and new surface struggling to keep up with demand.
production near Freelandville, Indiana. The Freelandville mine is one of
Production from both Prosperity and many new investments Hallador is
Freelandville are higher cost and are ex-
pected to increase the cost structure to U.S. News Continued on Page 11
monthly stats from coal country — usa
top 10 coal-producing states and regions
(Thousands of Short Tons) Week Ending (7/16/22)
YTD ‘22 YTD ‘21 % Change
Wyoming 132,632 122,638 8.1
West Virginia 43,763 43,082 1.6
Pennsylvania 22,550 24,840 -9.2
Illinois 19,621 22,295 -12.0
Montana 15,387 14,639 5.1
Kentucky 14,746 14,256 3.4
North Dakota 14,356 14,288 0.5
Indiana 10,601 10,355 2.4
Texas 8,482 8,415 0.8
Utah 6,470 6,757 -4.2
Appalachian Total 85,045 86,607 -1.8
Interior Total 49,257 52,013 -5.3
Western Total 180,885 169,221 6.9
U.S. Total 315,187 307,841 2.4
weekly spot prices
Week Ending
($/ton) (7/22/22) (6/24/22)
Central Appalachia (12,500 Btu, 1.2 SO2) $176.15 $138.80
Northern Appalachia (13,000 Btu, < 3.0 SO2) $137.30 $109.90
Illinois Basin (11,800 Btu, 5.0 SO2) $169.50 $126.00
Powder River Basin (8,800 Btu, 0.8 SO2) 0$16.35 0$16.55
Uinta Basin (11,700 Btu, 0.8 SO2) 0$43.15 0$39.55
Source: Energy Information Administration

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 7

worldwide news
Bowen Begins Mining at Broadmeadow East
An excavator loads coal into a haul truck at the Broadmeadow East mine.
Bowen Coking Coal reported that coal
mining has commenced at the Broad-
meadow East Pit near Moranbah in
Queensland’s Bowen Basin as the
company consolidates its position as
Queensland’s new independent met-
allurgical coal producer. Coal from
Broadmeadow East is planned to be
initially processed at the neighboring
Fitzroy coal handling and preparation
plant (CHPP) under an infrastructure
sharing agreement with Fitzroy (CQ)
Pty Ltd and exported through the Dal-
rymple Bay Coal Terminal.
As the first producing pit of Bow-
en’s expanded Burton Complex,
which includes the Burton and Len-
ton Pits 20 km to the north, Broad-
meadow East coal will be processed
through the Burton CHPP following
the completion of its refurbishment
in early 2023.
In May, after final approvals for
the project were granted in March
this year, Bowen announced the ap-
pointment of BUMA Australia Pty Ltd
as the mining contractor.
Bowen Managing Director and
CEO Gerhard Redelinghuys said the
mining of first coal at Broadmeadow
East was a significant achievement
for the company. “The fact that we
have commenced coal mining in less
than four months from final approv-
8 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
als being granted is a great testament
to the hard work and capabilities of
our company and contractors,” Re-
delinghuys said.
The coal at Broadmeadow East
has the flexibility to produce a prima-
ry coking coal product of either high
quality (7.5% ash, up to CSN 7.5) or
high yield (9.2% ash, CSN 4.5). In both
of the primary product cases, the sec-
ondary energy coal created from the
primary coking coal discard has a cal-
orific value of more than 6,500 kcal/
kg (ad) which is also a sought-after
product for the export coal markets.
Broadmeadow East’s first coal fol-
lows the company’s first coal shipment
from the Bluff Mine near Blackwa-
ter in June. First run-of-mine (ROM)
coal is targeted for late Q4 2022 from
the nearby Burton Pit as the company
works toward a 5-million-metric-ton-
per-year ROM capacity by 2024.
Earlier in July, Bowen announced
the first coal shipment from its Bluff
mine near Blackwater. Amid strong
coal pricing, Bowen’s first delivery of
approximately 35,000 mt of ultra-low
volatile pulverized coal injection was
shipped under a sales contract with
Formosa Plastics Group, a large di-
versified multinational conglomerate
headquartered in Taiwan. The sale
was agreed under the 50/50 market-
ing joint venture with Bowen and M
Resources, a specialist metallurgical
coal trading company.
Bowen acquired the Bluff mine
in December 2021 and significant
preparation works were undertaken
prior to first coal being mined in April
under a contract with HSE Mining.
The mine is currently operating three
hydraulic excavators.
Coal production at Bluff mine is
now expected to ramp up to a steady
state run-of-mine (ROM) target of
80,000 mt to 100,000 mt per month by
the end of next month, representing
an annualized production rate of be-
tween 1 million mt/y and 1.2 million
mt/y ROM over four to six years.
Teck Provides Steelmaking Coal
Sales and Pricing Update
Teck Resources reported second quar-
ter metallurgical coal sales of 6.3 mil-
lion metric tons (mt), which was within
the company’s previously announced
guidance of 6.3 – 6.7 million mt. Record
met coal FOB prices resulted in an in-
crease in the average realized price in
the second quarter to $453/mt. Teck
said it expects to record provisional
pricing adjustments of negative $73
million in the quarter due to the de-
cline in coal prices at quarter end.
India’s NTPC Moves Forward With
New Coal-fired Power Plant
India’s largest power producer, NTPC,
is advancing toward construction of
its first coal-fired plant in six years.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. won the
contract to build the 1,320-megawatt
(MW) Talcher power plant in Odisha.
NTPC said it is building new
plants to keep up with rising demand
for electricity.
The $1 billion Talcher project will
replace a smaller plant at the same
site that was phased out last year.
New Delhi-based NTPC will continue
with its policy to not build coal-burn-
 worldwide news continued

ing plants at any new locations. The
company has a potential to add about
15 GW at existing plant locations.
Bharat Heavy Electricals is report-
edly gearing up for new orders. The
company said it sees a tender pipe-
line of 7.7 GW of coal-fired power
projects this year, including NTPC’s
Talcher plant.
Queensland Increases Royalties
on Coal Operators
On July 1, the Queensland Govern-
ment implemented a new coal roy-
alty regime as part of its 2022-2023
budget, making royalties paid by coal
producers in Queensland the highest
in the world. Three new progressive
royalty tiers have been introduced in
addition to the current structure. The
existing royalty structure was:
• 7% of revenue for prices up to
A$100/mt;
• 12.5% for prices above A$100/mt;
and
• 15% for prices above A$150/mt.
The three new progressive tiers are:
• 20% of revenue for prices up to
A$175/mt;
• 30% for prices above A$225/mt;
and
• 40% for prices above A$300/mt.
The change represents a signifi-
cant increase on top of an already high
royalty regime. Coal operators have
warned the Queensland Government
that this move could jeopardize future
investments in the industry, and place
them at a competitive disadvantage
with coal operators in other regions.
“We’re extremely disappointed
in the way this massive royalty hike
has been implemented without any
consultation upon an industry that
already pays billions of dollar an-
nually in taxes and royalties to fund
schools, hospitals and services for
Queenslanders,” said Bowen Coking
Coal Executive Chairman Nick Jorss.
Bowen has opened three met mines
this year, creating more than 500 per-
manent jobs in Queensland.
Stanmore echoed those senti-
ments. The company recently ac-
quired an 80% stake in the BMC oper-
ations in Queensland for $1.2 billion.
“The impact of these increases will be
felt the most by workers and suppliers
in regional Queensland communities
that underpin the resources sector,”
Stanmore CEO Marcelo Matos said.
Germany to Stop Buying
Russian Coal
Germany will completely stop buying
Russian coal on August 1 and Russian
oil on December 31, Reuters reported,
marking a major shift in the source of
the country’s energy supply. Russian
previously supplied 40% of Germany’s
coal and 40% of its oil, said Joerg Kuk-
ies, state secretary in the German fed-
eral chancellery. “Anyone who knows
Worldwide News Continued on Page 14

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leading developments continued

Leading Developments Continued from Page 5

whether or not Congress granted
the EPA authority in the Clean Air
Act to issue significant rules, includ-
ing those capable of reshaping the
nation’s electricity grids and decar-
bonize any sector.
In its 6-3 ruling, the Supreme
Court said Congress has this author-
ity, not the EPA.
Chief Justice John Roberts deliv-
ered the majority opinion, with Jus-
tices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito,
Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and
Amy Coney Barrett joining him. In
his opinion, he said the court needed
to determine whether the “best sys-
tem of emission reduction” the EPA
identified in the Clean Power Plan
d ev e l o p m e n ts to watc h
was within its authority granted in
the Clean Air Act. He said it was not.
“Congress did not grant EPA in Sec-
tion 111(d) of the Clean Air Act the
authority to devise emissions caps
based on the generation shifting ap-
proach the agency took in the Clean
Power Plan,” he said.
He also pointed out the EPA’s his-
tory of increasing its authority for
“extraordinary cases,” which provid-
ed a “reason to hesitate before con-
cluding that Congress” meant to con-
fer such authority.
In his opinion, he said the EPA’s
view of Section 111(d) was that Con-
gress tasked it, and it alone, with bal-
ancing the many vital considerations
of national policy implicated in the
basic regulation of how Americans get
their energy. “And this court doubts
that Congress… intended to delegate
… decision[s] of such economic and
political significance, i.e., how much
coal-based generation there should
be over the coming decades, to any
administrative agency,” he added.
The National Mining Association
(NMA) applauded the ruling. “We are
pleased to see the court confirm that
there are limits to the authority that
administrative agencies have to uni-
laterally issue transformative rules,
particularly those that impose deep
and uneven economic impacts on
every state and industry across the
country,” the NMA said. “While many
would have liked to label this as a case
about climate, it is not; it is a case

Innovation Center Opens in Wyoming

about the authority of government
agencies and the economic impacts
Officials gathered for the grand opening of the Wyoming Innovation Center (WyIC) in to the states and all Americans when
Campbell County. The 5,500-ft2 facility on 10 acres will be home to companies and that authority is abused.”
researchers developing commodities using coal and coal byproducts. The Clean Power Plan, which
Tenants at WyIC will focus on evaluating the commercial viability of high-value was enacted under former President
nonfuel, low- or zero-emissions products made from coal and extracting pivotal rare Barack Obama’s administration, was
earth elements found in the fly ash of coal burned at local power plants. (The U.S. stayed in 2016, preventing the rule
currently depends on China for as much as 97% of its rare earth element sources.) from taking effect. It was repealed
WyIC’s first tenant, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), will focus on when former President Donald
applied research for the production and use of clean energy resources. Trump took office. In 2019, the EPA
The new center is part of a broader effort to spur innovation in Carbon Valley, replaced the Clean Power Plan with
using its natural resources and mines to grow and sustain jobs and advance benefi- the Affordable Clean Energy Rule.
cial environmental studies. The Wyoming Innovation Center is among several projects A number of states and private
that are exploring new options to address the entire life cycle of carbon — including parties filed petitions for review in
the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) and the University of Wyoming School of
the D.C. Circuit, challenging the
Energy Resources’ CarbonSAFE project.
EPA’s repeal of the Clean Power Plan
and its enactment of the replace-
ment ACE rule. The Court of Appeals
consolidated the cases and held
that EPA’s repeal of the Clean Power
Plan rested critically on a mistaken
reading of the Clean Air Act — that
generation shifting cannot be a “sys-
tem of emission reduction” under
Section 111. The court vacated the
agency’s repeal of the Clean Power
Plan and remanded it to the agen-
cy for further consideration. It also
vacated and remanded the ACE rule
The Wyoming Innovation Center will explore new energy options. for the same reason.

10 www.coalage.com July/August 2022


making in the area. In February, Hal-
lador announced it would be acquir-
ing the Merom power plant, located
in Sullivan County, Indiana. Hallador
anticipates completing the purchase
in the third quarter and has entered
into a multiyear power purchase
agreement with Hoosier Energy. It
is expected, over time, up to half of
Sunrise’s coal production will be con-
sumed annually at the Merom power
plant, securing long-term demand for
Sunrise’s large coal reserve base.
Earlier this year, Sunrise began
operating a new shaft in Russellville,
Illinois, which will provide employees
located near the Russellville area ac-
cess to the Oaktown II underground
mine, the company said. As Hallador
Energy and Sunrise Coal continue to
expand, the company said it expects
its employee base to grow to more
than 1,000 miners.
Production Begins at
Carnegie No. 2 Mine
American Resources Corp. has com-
menced initial production at its
greenfield Carnegie No. 2 metallurgi-
cal coal mine ahead of schedule. Fol-
lowing the mine’s initial development
production, the company will in-
crease the output over the next several
months to fully expand and maximize
production, revenues and cashflow.
“We are proud of our team, led by
Tarlis Thompson, to get the Carnegie
2 into production ahead of schedule
and within budget,” said American
Resources CEO Mark Jensen.
“Supply chain issues and inflation-
ary pressures continue to present chal-
lenges for many industries, however
our extensive asset base and the efforts
of our team has enabled us to use in-
ternal resources to get this mine into a
great position to produce,” Jensen said.
“Our McCoy Elkhorn complex will be
an area of growth for our business giv-
en the quality of the [coal] and the abil-
ity to bring on a meaningful amount of
incremental new mine production, or
July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 11
U.S. News Continued from Page 7
A rebuilt continuous miner is loaded for transport to the Carnegie No. 2 mine.
expand our existing mines, to feed the
global growth in the steel industry.
“Our focus is to bring a low-cost,
low-risk and high-quality supply of
metallurgical [coal] to the market as
we believe there are a substantial num-
ber of high-cost, end-of-life mines that
will decline over the next five years,”
Jensen said. “Our platform puts us in
a great position to feed the global de-
mand from these new opportunities
yet maintain a low environmental im-
pact on operations while still achieving
our negative net acres impact commit-
ment due to our continued land rec-
lamation efforts to further reduce the
overall cost for the business.”
The Carnegie No. 2 mine is a new
operation that has more than 20 years
of low-cost, favorable mining condi-
tions. It produces high-vol met coal
from the same seam as the compa-
ny’s Carnegie No. 1 mine. The mine
plan uses room and pillar mining
and a completely rebuilt Joy 14CM15
continuous miners with shuttle cars.
The mine is set up to run one work-
ing section until it can expand to two
working sections accessed from one
mining portal to optimize the mine’s
efficiency and asset base.
Blue Sky Remediates and
Repurposes Coal Waste
Philanthropist, venture capitalist and
serial entrepreneur, Alan E. Hall, has
launched a new company, Blue Sky
Energy (BSE) Corp. to remediate coal
waste, repurpose it as a clean energy
source, and capture greenhouse gases
u.s. news continued
in the process. The Utah-based com-
pany will partner with coal producers
to convert coal and coal waste into
useable, energy-efficient by-products,
which include crude oil, carbon neutral
coal CHAR and industrial compressed
gasses. These products will be used by
numerous industries primarily in mul-
tiple non-fuel burning applications.
“Global climate change is a seri-
ous issue that needs to be addressed
while at the same time providing
cleaner energy products for a grow-
ing economy. With this in mind, a
team of high-level executives with
expertise in science, business and the
fossil fuel industries has been assem-
bled to tackle this challenge,” said
Alan Hall, CEO, BSE Corp. “Using a
game-changing energy innovation,
we can save the planet and at the
same time provide the industry with
needed cleaner energy products.”
BSE has obtained an exclusive,
global operating license from Renuva
Energy to commercialize its patented
technology through innovative man-
ufacturing plants. These processing
facilities convert coal and coal fines
into reusable energy sources. One
plant ingesting 75,000 tons of coal
refuse will generate up to 24,750 tons
of industrial-grade charcoal, 187,500
barrels of crude oil and high volumes
of commercial gasses — butane,
methane and propane — annually.
The first BSE manufacturing plant
is currently being fabricated for a lo-
cation in Price, Utah, in partnership
with area mining companies. It is ex-
u.s. news continued
dat e l i n e wa s h i n g to n
European Energy Independence
With U.S. Coal
by conor bernstein
Fatih Birol, the head of
the International Energy
Agency, recently warned
that the global ener-
gy crisis is likely to get
worse before it gets bet-
ter, adding the coming
winter for Europe, “will
be very, very difficult.”
His remarks reflect the increasing like-
lihood that Russia will completely cut off the
flow of its natural gas to Europe. Even though
European buyers have pivoted to alternative
gas supplies, particularly LNG, a Russian
embargo would necessitate gas rationing or
worse without an aggressive, multi-pronged
plan to radically reduce gas use.
While the European Commission rolled
out a plan to curtail European reliance on
Russian gas in May, that plan — REPowerEU
— already appears in need of significant
strengthening and augmentation. The good
news, however, is that energy experts on
both sides of the Atlantic think it’s possible
for Europe to gain independence from Rus-
sian gas by this coming winter. While there’s
no silver bullet to make it happen, coal —
particularly American coal — will be needed
to do much of the heavy lifting.
“The Most Important
Near-term Role”
A new report from experts at the ZERO lab
at Princeton University identifies several
paths for European countries to break their
Russian gas habit by the close of this Octo-
ber. All three approaches lean on ramping
up the near-term use of coal — at varying
levels — to slash gas use.
Getting Europe the coal it will need will
not be easy. Coal markets are already tight
due to supply chain problems, industry con-
traction following the implosion of demand
during the pandemic, and reduced and re-
shuffled supply due to sanctions on Russian
coal exports that had accounted for half of
12 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
Europe’s hard coal supply. The report projects
that Europe will need an increase of 30 - 55
million metric tons (mt) of hard coal from the
global market during the period from April
2022 to March 2023. Securing this supply for
Europe, write the authors, “will likely depend
on concerted action by the United States and
other European allies.”
In fact, while so much attention has been
given to what the U.S. can do help provide gas
to Europe, the authors found that, “the most
important near-term role for the United States
in any plan to eliminate Europe’s reliance on
Russia gas is as a supplier of coal.”
The Pivot is Beginning
but Needs a Boost
A reembrace of coal is happening across
Europe and not a moment too soon. Germa-
ny, for example, is not only ramping up use
of operating coal capacity but has passed
legislation bringing 10 GW of mothballed
capacity back into service. The Federation
of German Industries — long weary of Ger-
many’s race away from baseload power —
called the decision “better late than never.”
It has taken a crisis, but Europe is
finally recognizing that a successful transi-
tion to a renewable energy future can’t hap-
pen without energy security. Europe’s coal
fleet — the energy infrastructure it should
have been leaning on for the transition all
along — is precisely the bridge needed to
navigate this unprecedented moment.
The U.S., for its part, needs to come to
the assistance of our allies and ensure we’re
taking every step possible to defang Russia’s
energy weapon. As the Europeans are recog-
nizing, and as the experts at Princeton argue,
the key role the U.S. can play is as a supplier
of coal. It’s now time for Congress and the
Biden administration to step up to the plate.
Conor Bernstein is a spokesperson for the
National Mining Association, the industry’s
trade group based in Washington, D.C.
pected to be operational in Novem-
ber 2022. Over the next five years, BSE
hopes to install 300 plants across the
United States and another 1,200 facil-
ities abroad.
Methane Ignition Occurs at
Ramaco Resources’ Berwind Mine
On July 10, Ramaco Resources Inc.
reported a material methane igni-
tion at its Berwind mining complex in
Berwind, West Virginia. Currently, the
cause of the ignition is unknown. The
company, in conjunction with the ap-
propriate state and federal regulatory
authorities, will be conducting a full
investigation into the incident.
The mine was idle at the time of
the incident, and there were no per-
sonnel in the mine nor any injuries
or fatalities. At this time, Ramaco Re-
sources said it will be evaluating the
extent of the damage. Production
from the Berwind Complex is expect-
ed to be impacted for an indetermi-
nant period of time.
Alliance Plans to Add Capacity
Continued robust market fundamen-
tals during the second quarter of 2022
pushed coal sales prices, volumes
and coal sales revenues higher for
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) by
25.1%, 9.4% and 36.9%, respectively,
compared to the first quarter of 2022.
“ARLP delivered strong financial
and operating performance during the
second quarter of 2022, as we again
posted significant increases to coal and
oil and gas sales volumes and prices,
total revenues, net income and EBIT-
DA compared to the second quarter of
2021,” said Joe Craft, chairman, pres-
ident and CEO. “Segment Adjusted
EBITDA at our coal operations climbed
sharply to $222.6 million for the second
quarter as increased coal sales volumes
and prices more than offset contin-
ued inflationary cost pressures, supply
chain challenges and ongoing shipping
delays due to poor rail performance.”
Alliance’s coal sales prices per ton
increased in all regions compared to
 u.s. news continued

both Q2 2021 and Q1 2022 as a result

of continued favorable market con-
ditions. In the Illinois Basin, signifi-
cantly higher export prices during Q2
2022 drove coal sales prices higher
by 28.5% and 15.4% compared to Q2
2021 and Q1 2022, respectively. In Ap-
palachia, coal sales prices increased
by 62.7% and 32% compared to Q2
2021 and Q1 2022, respectively, pri-
marily due to substantially higher
export price realizations at all mines Alliance plans to add a fifth production unit at Gibson South (above).
in the region as well as increased do-
mestic pricing at the Tunnel Ridge increased export shipments from the delivered significant year-over-year
and Mettiki mines. Mettiki and MC Mining operations. per ton margin expansion, and we be-
Coal sales volumes were higher by ARLP ended Q2 2022 with total coal lieve ARLP is positioned to see further
7.5% in the Illinois Basin compared to inventory of 1.6 million tons, repre- margin growth in 2023 and 2024.”
Q2 2021 as a result of increased sales senting an increase of 200,000 tons Craft said the company plans to add
volumes at the Gibson South and compared to the end of Q2 2021 and a fifth production unit at the Gibson
Hamilton mines. In Appalachia, coal comparable to the end of Q1 2022. South mine and another develop-
sales volumes increased 28.1% and “ARLP was able to execute new ment unit at the Hamilton mine later
36.1% compared to Q2 2021 and Q1 coal sales commitments for delivery this year or early next year. As a result,
2022, respectively, as a result of high- of 24.9 million tons through 2025 at Alliance expects total tons produced
er domestic sales volumes from the prices above our recent expectations,” and sold in 2023 to be approximately
Tunnel Ridge longwall operation and Craft said. “Our coal operations have 1 million tons higher than this year.

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 13

worldwide news continued
the history of the Druzhba pipeline,
which was already a tool of the Soviet
empire over eastern Europe, ridding
yourself of that dependence is not a
trivial matter, but it is one that we will
achieve,” Kukies said.
Coal Developer Files $3.4B
Lawsuit Against Alberta
Cabin Ridge Holdings Ltd. and Cabin
Ridge Project Ltd. have initiated legal
proceedings against the government
of Alberta in the court of Queen’s
Bench of Alberta, Canada. The com-
pany said it had invested significantly
to acquire their freehold mineral rights
and project assets for the purpose of
developing a world-class metallurgi-
cal coal project. The claim is on the
government of Alberta’s change of po-
sition by which the government sub-
stantially and unreasonably interfered
with Cabin Ridge’s development rights
and deprived Cabin Ridge of any rea-
sonable use of the valuable mineral
rights that it acquired, Cabin Ride said.
Consequently, the government of Al-
berta’s de facto expropriation of Cabin
Ridge’s freehold mineral property has
prevented Cabin Ridge from continu-
ing to develop its steelmaking coal
project and has deprived the Cabin
Ridge companies of their substantial
investments in Alberta, it said.
Without this interference, the
proposed met coal mine would have
generated approximately 500 direct
jobs and $2 billion in taxes and other
revenue for the provincial and federal
governments.
Cabin Ridge is seeking damages
in the amount of $3.441 billion due
to “loss of net present value” of the
property. Alternatively, the compa-
nies are seeking $56 million in res-
titution, plus future and contingent
remediation costs.
Japan’s JERA to Start New
Coal-fired Power Plant
Japan’s largest power generator, JERA,
is set to start a new 1.07-gigawatt (GW)
14 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
Worldwide News Continued from Page 9
coal-fired power plant in Taketoyo in
central Japan, which could help to al-
leviate an electricity crunch. The No. 5
unit in Taketoyo thermal power station
will replace three old oil-fired units.
During trials, the unit has achieved a
generation efficiency of 46%, among
the highest for coal power in the world.
China Considers Ending
Australian Coal Ban
The Chinese news site sxcoal.com said
that talk of China ending its unofficial
ban on imports of Australian coal, in
place since October 2020, had recently
intensified, according to Reuters. “Ru-
mors of easing the ban on Australian
coal imports have been circulating re-
cently,’ the coal-trading website said.
The rumors gained currency af-
ter China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi,
met his Australian counterpart, Pen-
ny Wong, during the summit of the
Group of 20 economies in Bali.
Citing people familiar with the
matter, Bloomberg News also report-
ed that Chinese officials were propos-
ing to end the import ban because of
supply concerns due to Western-led
sanctions on Russia, and the proposal
would be submitted to senior leaders.
Commenting on Wong’s request for
China to lift its “trade ban,” the com-
merce ministry said, “China hopes
Australia can take pragmatic actions
to create favorable conditions for bi-
lateral trade relations.”
Australia’s metallurgical coal ex-
ports have been hit the worst by the un-
official ban, especially as it now trades
at a very rare and steep discount to
thermal coal prices, which are booming
on the back of the loss of Russian sup-
ply. Benchmark Australian Newcastle
thermal coal prices are at $400 per met-
ric ton (mt),, compared to about $178/
mt for China’s domestic coal. China has
been stepping up coal imports from
Russia, which are priced at a discount
compared to other sources, as many
buyers have halted purchases from
Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
Indonesia to Fill Russian Coal
Supply Gap
Indonesia, the world’s largest ex-
porter of thermal coal, will be able
to increase output to help meet
demand from countries that have
lost supplies from Russia, its ener-
gy minister said recently. Reuters
reported Energy and Mineral Re-
sources Minister Arifin Tasrif said
countries had asked Indonesia for
coal in the wake of sanctions on
Russia. “We will help every country
who is short of this kind of materi-
al as much as we can,” Tasrif said
during an interview with Reuters
on the sidelines of the Sydney Ener-
gy Forum hosted by the Australian
government and the International
Energy Agency.
Indonesia’s target for coal output
this year is 663 million metric tons.
“We have the resources,” Tasrif said.
“In case the situation is very urgent at
the end of the year, we don’t want to
let people suffer without coal.”
India’s Coal Imports Hit Record
High in June
India’s coal imports hit a record high
in June despite record prices, Reuters
reported. India imported more than
25 million metric tons (mt) of coal in
June, rising by over a third compared
with the same period last year. Ther-
mal coal imports for June total 19.6
million mt and met imports amount-
ed to 5.4 million mt.
Drax Will Keep Its Coal-fired
Power Plant Open in the UK
At the request of Secretary of State
for Business, Energy and Industri-
al Strategy of the United Kingdom
(UK) Kwasi Kwarteng, Drax said it
will keep its coal-fired power plant
open this winter. He said it was a
“sensible precaution” as Europe re-
duces its reliance on Russian natural
gas. Britain now has two coal-fired
power plants for the winter, and it’s
considering one more.
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1 Full-conference registration
– $49 per person
Exhibit-only pass for all 3 days.
Badge is non-transferable.
Must be an existing exhibitor and
have a booth on the show floor.

*Not all booth sizes are listed. Additional booth sizes available on request.

Full Conference Mining Delegate Exhibit-only Mining Delegate

Includes engineers and management Includes engineers and management
personnel from mining companies. personnel from mining companies.
Opening Keynote Opening Keynote
All Conference Sessions All Conference Sessions
Professional development hours.
Access to session archives after the conference.

3 Day Full COnference 3 day exhibit-only

– Early bird (August 1-December 31): $149 – Early bird (August 1-December 31): $49
– Advanced (January 1-April 21): $199 – Advanced (January 1-April 21): $59
– On-site: $229 – On-site: $69

1 day full conference 1 day exhibit-only

– Early bird (August 1-December 31): $79 – Early bird (August 1-December 31): $29
– Advanced (January 1-April 21): $99 – Advanced (January 1-April 21): $39
– On-site: $119 – On-site: $49
Booth Space Includes:
Logo and 100-word company description
in conference pocket guide, on website
& on mobile app
“Opt-in” attendee contact list post-conference
7” x 44” exhibitor identification sign
with company name and booth number
8’ high back wall drape
3’ high side wall drape

to concessions

Floor plan is
Main Entrance subject to change.
Exhibitor Registrations are
for exhibitors and their guests.
Delegate Registrations are for personnel
from mining companies. Exhibit-only means
no access to presentations or professional development
hours after the conference. Advanced Registration is required.
additional Sponsorship opportunities

Evening Social $3,000 Pens $500 per day

Refreshments on the show floor toward the end of Your custom logo or company’s pen placed on all the
chosen day, 5-minute speaking slot during event and conference tables during the daily sessions. Sponsor
signage recognition. to provide pens.
3 available per day 2 days available

Mobile App $2,500 Notepads $500 per day

The mobile app is designed for attendees and exhibi-
tors to easily network, connect and share information.
Prominent logo placed on the event mobile app for all
delegates to see.
1 available
Your custom logo or company’s note pad placed on all
the conference tables during the daily sessions. Sponsor
to provide notepads.
2 days available

Conference Bags $2,500 Giveaway in Conference Bags $250

Conference bag includes event logo and up to three
sponsor logos on the flap. This business-style bag
with shoulder strap includes organizer pockets, and
a phone holder with an expandable all-round zipper.
3 available
Place one item or promotional materials in the
delegates bags. Sample of item or materials must
be supplied to check sizing. Does not include the
purchase or creation of promotional items.

Custom Lanyards $2,000 Conference Pocket Show Guide

Heavy-duty quality lanyards featuring the sponsoring Print Advertising
company’s logo. Used throughout the event for every
attendee. Full-Page $700
1 available Full-page ad in Conference Pocket Show Guide
(approx. 4- x 9-in.)
Aisle Signage $1,500
Add your logo on the hanging numbered aisle signs in Half-Page $400
the exhibit hall for everyone to see. Half-page ad in Conference Pocket Show Guide
1 available (approx. 4- x 4.5-in.)

Custom Sponsorships Available. Contact your Sales Rep for more Information.

uscoalshow.com
 bluefield preview

Bluefield Coal Show Returns

Organizers expects thousands to attend regional coal show
by steve fiscor, editor-in-chief

More than 150 exhibitors will display mining equipment and technology at the Brushfork Armory. (Photo: Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias)

After a 1-year postponement, the
Bluefield Coal & Mining Show will
take place September 14-16, 2022,
at the Brushfork Armory in Blue-
field, West Virginia. The biennial
event is usually held in September
during the odd-numbered years,
but last year’s show was postponed
when the National Mining Asso-
ciation announced it would move
MINExpo 2020 to September 2021.
Today, COVID-19 concerns are
Exhibit Hours
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
(10 a.m. - 6 p.m.)
Thursday, September 15, 2022
(10 a.m. - 6 p.m.)
Friday, September 16, 2022
(9 a.m. - 2 p.m. )
manageable and people are looking
forward to seeing each other in per-
son again and kicking the tires on
new equipment.
The theme for the 2022 Bluefield
Coal & Mining Show is “A Show for
Mining: Our Past, Present, Future.”
The event caters to regional coal
operators, who mostly cut coal from
underground operations. Manufac-
turers usually display a substantial
amount of low-profile equipment
for room-and-pillar mining in low
coal seams. In the past, as many
as 6,000 people have attended the
3-day event.
There will likely be some notice-
able changes between this year’s
event and the 2019 event. The market
has turned in favor of coal producers
since the last event and the overall
mood should be much more upbeat.
Southern West Virginia, eastern Ken-
tucky and Virginia are bustling with
activity. From an equipment sup-
plier’s perspective, Caterpillar’s exit
from the underground coal business
has opened opportunities for other
suppliers. In the wake of the deci-
sion, Cat divvied up its underground
coal offering among several suppli-
ers and this will be their first oppor-
tunity to shine.
The organizers, the Chamber of
Commerce for the Two Virginias,
added the term “& Mining” to the
show’s name. It was previously the
Bluefield Coal Show. With no met-
al mining operations in the region,
one can only surmise that this is an
attempt by the organizers to diversi-
fy into the aggregates business.

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 19

bluefield preview continued
Exhibitors
Exhibitor....................................Booth Number
Accutrex...................................................... 216
AEEI................................................ 1503, 1502
American Electric Equipment Inc.... 1904, 1905
AMR Pemco Inc........................... 115, 117, 119
Anderson Industrial & Mining Producers LLC.... Innovative Wireless Technologies Inc (IWT)....... SeeTech LLC.............................................. 1719
................................................................... 103
Applied Industrial Technologies.......... 401, 402
ARC 3 Gases............................................. 1315
Arch Environmental................................... 1804
Becker Global America.............................. 1201
Belt Tech............................................. 316, 318
Betek Tools Inc.......................................... 1206
Blue Ridge Diesel Inc................................ 1810
Blue Wolf Sales and Service Inc.................. 202
Bluefield Mfg Inc............................. 1213, 1215
Bluefield State University.......................... 1210
Boone Supply Co Inc.................................... 215
Bradford Stuart Industries Inc.................. 1002
Brandeis Machinery.................................. 1203
Brookville Equipment Corp.......................... 105
Buchanan Pump Service..................... 305, 307
CAB Products.................................. 1114, 1116
Capital Group Fasing Plc.......................... 1402
Carroll Engineering Co........................ 306, 308
ChemTreat................................................. 1105
Cincinnati Mine Machinery Co................... 1607
Coal News/Coal Zoom................................. 917
Coalfield Services Inc.................................. 904
Cogar Manufacturing Inc...... 1721, 1722, 1723
Conn-Weld................................................... 304
Conspec Controls...................................... 1104
Continental Global Material Handling LLC........ Mine Power Systems Inc...................... 310, 312
....................................................... 1303, 1305
Conveyor Accessories Inc................ 1302, 1304
Cowin & Company/Raisebor...................... 1003
Crown Battery Mfg Co Inc................ 1513, 1514
Custom Hydraulics Inc................................ 118
D. J. Evans Enterprises Inc.......................... 404
East Penn Mfg Co...................................... 1724
Elgin Power Solution/Mining Controls LLC......... NTN Bearing Corp of America...................... 916
................................................................. 1613
Enersys..................................................... 1720
Englo Inc..................................................... 905
FGX Septech LLC....................................... 1511
FKC - Lake Shore....................................... 1004
Flexco........................................................ 2104
FUCHS Lubricants Co................................ 1510
Fuel OX...................................................... 1006
Gainwell Engineering Inc............ 906, 908, 910
GEC Inc....................................................... 120
GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance.... 1906, 1907
Graybar Electric.............................. 1106, 1108
Henkel Loctite Corp..... 2203, 2204, 2205, 2206
Highland Machinery.... 1619, 1620, 1621, 1622
20 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
Hilti Inc..................................................... 1505
Hoover Conveyor & Fabrication Corp......... 1209
ICL America LTD........................................ 1008
Imperial Conveying Systems LLC............... 1005
Industrial Plating...................................... 1512
........................................................... 205, 207
Integrated Power Services......................... 1204
Intermountain Electronics Inc..................... 314
Irwin Mine & Tunneling Supply........ 1808, 1809
JP Tech Services.................................. 912, 914
J. H. Fletcher & Co........................... 1614, 1615
Jabo Supply Corp....................................... 1202
Jazz Solutions Inc...................................... 1307
Jennmar.......................................... 1704, 1705
Johnson Industries Inc.................... 1610, 1611
Kennametal......................................... 112, 114
King’s Tire.................................................. 1812
KOMATSU..........................................1708-1718
Lee Supply Co Inc...................................... 1208
Line Power................................................. 1507
Longwall Associates Inc.................. 1706, 1707
MARTOR.................................................... 1107
Matrix Design Group.............. 2005, 2006, 2007
Mazzella Companies................................. 1207
Mefcor................................................. 201, 203
Metalcraft Mining Equipment........ 1725, 1726,
................................................................. 1727
Metallurgical Coal Producers Assoc.......... 1312
Micon/Phoenix First Response..................... 101
Millennium Torque & Tensioning Inc.......... 1102
Miller................................................... 913, 915
Mining Connection.................................... 1313
Mining Media Int’l Inc............................... 1111
Mining People........................................... 1001
Minova........................................................ 219
Mountain Air Compressor Inc.................... 1010
NARCO............................................ 1608, 1609
Nexans AmerCable.............................. 211, 213
Paul’s Fan Co.................................. 1908, 1909
Performance Industries............................... 302
Peters Equipment Co LLC............................ 301
Pewag Chain Inc....................................... 1301
Phillips Global, Inc................ 1616, 1617, 1618
Plymouth Rubber Europa........................... 1318
Pollart Sales.............................................. 1211
Project Enterprises LLC............................... 303
R. M. Wilson Co............................... 2105, 2106
Raw Resources Group................................. 109
RCAC PTAC Regional Center........................ 700
REI Drilling/Drilling Products Inc................ 902
Rel-Tek Corp................................................ 320
Richwood............................................ 111, 113
Rodeco...................................................... 2201
Royal Brass & Hose..................................... 107
Saminco Int’l................................... 1517, 1518
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.... 108, 110
Schroeder Industries LLC.......................... 1216
SEMCO Publishing.................................... 1009
Service Pump & Supply............................... 319
Shrewsbury Machine and Gear Inc...... 218, 220
Silver Spur Conveyors...................... 1806, 1807
Simmons Equipment Co...................1601-1606
Solve Industrial Motion Group................... 1901
Somerset Int’l.............................................. 209
Splice One Inc............................................. 911
Stahura Conveyor Products Inc................. 2202
State Electric Supply Co...... 501, 502, 503, 504
Strata Worldwide............................. 1728, 1729
Sumitomo Drive Technologies.................... 1516
Swanson Industries................................... 1506
SWCC Procurement Technical Center.......... 707
Syntron Materials Handling............ 1016, 1014,
....................................................... 1113, 1115
System Controls Inc.................................. 1805
The New York Blower Co.............................. 116
Trey K Mining & Electric Inc....................... 1015
Triad Demolition & Dismantling.................. 309
Trojan Tire Inc............................................ 1205
U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission LLC....... 1103
United Central Industrial Supply Co LLC...........
................................................... 102, 104, 106
United Mining Equipment................... 208, 210
US Small Business Adm WV Dist. Office...... 704
US Synthetic Mining & Const (Brady Mining)....
................................................................... 206
Valtronics.................................................... 214
Victaulic...................................................... 212
Voith US Inc............................................... 1515
W. Va. Coal Assoc/Friends of Coal Ladies..........
................................................................. 1612
W. Va. Electric Supply Co............................. 217
Wallace Electrical Systems LLS...... 1623, 1730,
................................................................. 1731
WESCO................................................ 313, 315
West River Conveyors............ 1701, 1702, 1703
West View Cunningham Co.......................... 311
White Armature Works............................... 1509
Wolf Hills Fabricators LLC......................... 1811
W. Va. Department Economic Development.......
................................................................... 204
Xpress Services................................... 907, 909
Xylem Inc.................................................. 1306
Exhibitors list provieded by the Greater Bluefield
Chamber of Commerce — as of August 5, 2022.
 bluefield preview continued

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 21

bluefield preview continued

As of press time, the Bluefield coal industry when he addresses us

Coal & Mining Show had nearly 150
exhibitors. In a press release ear-
lier this year, the organizers said
they had exhibitors representing 17
states and Canada. The organizers
will host a keynote presentation
from David Stetson, CEO, Alpha
Metallurgical Resources, during the
Media Appreciation breakfast on
September 14, followed by the offi-
cial opening of the show.
Stetson to Open the Show
Bob Ramsey, chairman of the Blue-
field Coal & Mining Show, recently
announced that Stetson would open
the show. “We are delighted to have
the show opened by David Stet-
Keynote speaker David Stetson, CEO, Alpha
Metallurgical Resources. (Photo: AMR)
son of Alpha, who will provide his
unique perspective of the American
at the breakfast. His presentation
will be of great interest to everyone
at a time when there is certainly, a
renewed focus on the industry,” said
Bob Ramsey, president of Peters
Equipment and Ramsey Industrial,
family-owned companies.
In addition to his role as CEO,
Stetson is also chair of Alpha’s board
of directors. Alpha rebranded in
February of 2021 from its prior com-
pany name of Contura Energy and
Stetson previously served on Contu-
ra Energy’s Board of Directors from
November 2018 through April 2019.
Before that, he served as chairman
of the Board of Directors and CEO of
Alpha Natural Resources from July
2016 until the merger with Contura
in November 2018.
Stetson has extensive experience

THE THE
in management, finance, mergers
and acquisitions, corporate gover-

BLUEFIELD BLUEF
nance, restructuring, the law, and
reclamation. He is the founder and

COAL & MINING COAL &

most recent chairman of the Metal-
lurgical Coal Producers Association

SHOW (MCPA).
SHOW
A Show for Mining: Bluefield Snapshot A Show for
Our Past, Present, Future Our Past, P
While most exhibitors were playing
it close to the vest as of press time,
some did share their plans for the
September 14, 15, 16, 2022 September 14, 1
Bluefield Coal & Mining Show. J.H.
Fletcher (Booths 1614, 1615) said
it would be displaying roof bolting
Brushfork Armory-Civic Center Brushfork Armory
equipment, and Longwall Associ-
ates (Booths 1706, 1707) said it will
Bluefield, West Virginia Bluefield, Wes
also be on hand to discuss its orig-
inal equipment manufacturing ca-
Sponsored by: Sponsored
pabilities and its by:
rebuild services.
Richwood Industries (Booths
111, 113) is bringing its Air Stop
material containment system,
which dramatically reduces the is-
sues associated with airborne dust.
619 Bland Street Richwood was able to develop 619 the Bland St
Bluefield, WV 24701 solution by first identifying theBluefield,
root WV 2
t 304.327.7184 causes, explained Lorrie Spence, tse-304.327.71
coctwovirginias@gmail.com nior manager for corporate identity
coctwovirginias@g
www.coctwovirginias.com for Richwood Industries. “Anytime
www.coctwovirgin
product is moving dust can be gen-

22 www.coalage.com July/August 2022

 bluefield preview continued

erated, especially when material is in free fall at a trans-

fer area,” Spence said.
Traditional dust collection methods have includ- COMING THIS FALL...
ed sprays or vacuum collection, but their perfor-
mance has been less than ideal. “Richwood uses a
passive dust containment system, which has a cham-
bered dust-stilling system that allows the materi-
al to settle before it leaves the transfer area,” Spen-
ce said. “Each system is designed for the application
CAP LAMP
and includes establishing correct belt support to allow
for the sealing components, a multi-layer approach
for containing bulk materials and dust using exter-
nal and internal liners, and dust curtains and stilling
WHEAT XL
chambers as needed. The system has proven very effec- FIRST GROUND UP REDESIGN IN

15 YEARS
tive in the field.”
Conn-Weld (Booths 304) will not be taking equip-
ment to the Bluefield Coal & Mining Show, but they said
they were excited to participate as an exhibitor. Their
stand will feature a visual impression of Conn-Weld’s
history in the coal industry, captivating video of Conn-
Weld’s process solutions in action, and a nod to the
aggregate industry as well. Having served the coal in-
dustry for 47 years, Conn-Weld said it was grateful to
the Chambers of the Two Virginias for providing this
platform to network and reconnect with its ‘Friends of
Coal.’ In addition, they also said they were glad to know
that the aggregate industry would play a role in the
event as well.
Jennmar (Booths 1704, 1705) said it would have a
lot of products displayed at its stand, including props,
cribs, bits, bolts, conveyors and ventilation equip-
ment. Jennmar designs and manufactures a wide range
of ground control products, from bolts and beams to
channels and trusses, resin, rebar, and more. The com-
pany takes pride in providing products that make the
mining industry safer and more efficient.
Because it understands the ever-changing and de-
manding conditions above and below ground, Jennmar
said it has built the richest portfolio of diverse and
complementary brands. Jennmar’s brand of affiliates
includes engineering services, resin manufacturing,
rolled-steel, and drill-steel manufacturing, carbide drill BRIGHTER
bits, custom steel fabrication, chemical roof support,
and sealing products, and even includes staffing solu- SUPERIOR VALUE
tions and a trucking company.
Jennmar said it sets the bar in every industry it
BUILT FOR GENERATIONS
serves and, as it continues to grow, its focus will always
be on the customer. The company feels it is essential to
develop close working relationships with every custom-
er to understand their unique challenges and ensure su-
perior customer service. Jennmar said its commitment
to the customer is guided by three words: safety, service
and innovation. KoehlerLighting.com

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 23

underground mining

Appalachian Suppliers Offer

Top Scoop Solutions
Highland Machinery Corp. and Grace Equipment Co. each have a superior solution
for those looking to buy new and those looking to rebuild
by jesse morton, technical writer

Having a scoop rebuilt can save mon-
ey over buying new, but it is still an
expense. Better is needing neither,
which is the case for owners of the
Highland Machinery Corp. Model
280, the OEM said. The proven unit
has benefited from numerous up-
grades over the years and can now
sometimes go for up to 16 years with-
out needing a major overhaul.
For those miners in the market for
a rebuild service, plan ahead, Grace
Equipment said. The supplier offers
fast turnaround times, but currently
business is stacking up. Customers are
increasingly capitalizing on the compa-
ny’s ability to rebuild to like-new speci-
fications almost any make and model.
Both companies said they have,
can get, or can machine the parts
needed to complete orders timely,
which sets them apart these days, as
does the superior work for which they
are renowned.
Low-seam Scoop for Any Task
Highland Machinery Corp. said the
versatile Model 280 scoop for low-
seam mining can tackle “any tasks”
and in most conditions. “The machine
speaks for itself in its capabilities and
proven performance,” said Jarrod Bai-
ley, executive vice president.
Like the company, which has been
in business more than three decades,
“the 280 had humble beginnings,
and started out with a lot to prove,”
he said. “It has proven itself time and
time again with every machine we
have put into service.”
The unit’s “construction exempli-
fies Highland’s mission of exceeding
industry standards compared to what
other manufacturers offer and con-
struct,” Bailey said.
At roughly 34 ft long and 9 ft
wide, and with ground clearance of
as much as 15 in., the 280, like all of
Highland’s scoops, is highly custom-
izable. A 140-ft3 bucket, a 60-gallon
hydraulic oil tank, John Deere plan-
etary four-wheel-drive axles, and
a certified four-post canopy come
standard. Options include a hydraulic
winch, a camera system, and a prox-
imity detection system.
“We offer a variety of attachments,
which include the standard bucket
with ejector blade, standard bucket
with rock dust bucket, maintenance
center bucket, hydraulic forklift mast,
road grader attachment, and dozer
blade,” Bailey said.

With a certified four-point canopy, the Model 280 is 34 ft long and 9 ft wide, with ground clearance of as much as 15 in. (Photo: Highland Machinery Corp.)

24 www.coalage.com July/August 2022

 underground mining continued

The Model 280 can be built to run on either a 128-V or a 240-V lead-acid battery, a DC or AC traction system, and a DC or AC hydraulic pump motor.
(Photo: Highland Machinery Corp.)

The unit’s top feature is the rugged Over the years, updates to the machine and who can identify areas
frame, built and designed in house. model have focused on simplifying that could need possible changes or
“The frame is the most important and streamlining maintenance tasks. improvements.”
part of any piece of equipment,” he “Zone lubrication, an automatic lu- Maintenance of the 280 is fully
said. “While components can be re- brication system, moving filtration, supported by the supplier. “We have
placed and upgraded over time, the dedicated compartments located near a full field service division that is
frame is the life of the machine.” the hydraulic pump, and many other available 24/7 for diagnosing issues
The frame contributes to the su- improvements allow for easier mainte- and helping to provide technical sup-
perior longevity of the 280, which can nance,” Bailey said. “Our various elec- port,” Bailey said.
run for 16 years or more. trical systems also allow for easier trou- “Our parts division also is there
“Numbers like this speak for bleshooting and diagnosing issues.” to ensure that, when you do need a
themselves,” Bailey said. For compar- The advice received from external part for your machine, Highland will
ison, “our equipment rebuild shop maintenance techs helps drive de- be there to provide the replacement
has performed complete rebuilds on velopment of upgrades to the scoop. and get you back up and running,” he
5-year-old competitor machines that “Highland works hand-in-hand each said. “Our parts division has dedicated
needed frame replacements.” and every day with mine mainte- routes that are capable of servicing all
The scoop can be configured for nance departments around the world Northern, Central, and Southern Appa-
either a 128-V or a 240-V lead-acid and one thing that we do is listen,” lachian mines multiple days per week.”
battery, a DC or AC traction system, he said. “These are the people who If the customer is new, “we can
a DC or AC hydraulic pump motor, we have to ensure are happy with the also offer additional services and
“along with other options,” he said.
“Highland has been involved in
battery development projects for
the past 15-plus years with multi-
ple battery manufacturers world-
wide,” Bailey said. “We have explored
multiple different chemistries and
battery types.”
The scoop has a spacious and
comfortable cab. “Along with options
such as left-hand steering, joystick
integration, diagnostic displays, and
interactive information centers, the
280 allows for the operator to be com-
fortable while operating the machine,
and to have easy access to common With a 140-ft3 bucket, the Model 280 features a rugged frame, built and designed in house.
functions,” he said. (Photo: Highland Machinery Corp.)

July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 25

underground mining continued

support to their existing equipment

with our parts division, which carries
replacement parts for most all manu-
facturers and types of equipment, and
our field service department, which
works on most all brands and types of
equipment to provide solutions and
diagnostic services,” Bailey said.
Highland Machine Corp. offers
same-day order fulfillment on motor
freight, and ships with next-day-air
and standard ground “to ensure your
parts get to you as quickly as possi-
ble,” he said.
The first 280 was delivered more
than two decades ago. “Over the
course of 20 years there have been
many updates made to the machine
to make up the current generation of
the 280 scoop,” Bailey said.
“While the original machine was a
standard 128-VDC machine, standard
for the time of production, the ma-
chine proved one thing for certain,” he
said. “Like all machines that Highland
manufactures, the machine is built to
out-perform customer expectations
and outlast competitor machines.”
Like New at a Fraction of the Cost
Grace Equipment Co. said it is ex-
periencing a surge in demand for
rebuilds, and that it has the facilities
Typically the customer is responsible for transporting the scoop to Grace Equipment, that will then
tear it down and assess it prior to offering options for the rebuild. (Photo: Grace Equipment Co.)
For the typical scoop rebuild, Grace Equipment Co. will tear the unit down to the frame, rebuild
it from the frame up, plumb it, wire it, put lights on it, sandblast it, paint it, and send it back
to the customer. (Photo: Grace Equipment Co.)
and technicians to continue to take
on new customers and keep turn-
around times short.
“We stay pretty well booked,” said
Frank Pearson, vice president. “We
have got orders constantly coming in.”
The company rebuilds conveyors,
mantrips, and other equipment, to
include scoops. “We rebuild a wide
variety of machines,” Pearson said.
“We rebuild scoops from the ground
up,” he said. “We’ve got one right now
getting ready to go in the shop.”
Planned correctly, a mining scoop
rebuild will perform like a new ma-
chine “at a fraction of the cost,” the
company said. In the typical rebuild,
cylinders are rebuilt or replaced and
tested. “Frame and body damage is
repaired to specification.”
Hydraulic hoses and lines are re-
placed. “Major components are re-
paired or replaced,” the company
said. Wire harnesses are replaced.
“We go through everything and
put everything back on it new, all new
hoses, all new wiring, new lights,”
Pearson said. “We rebuild all the com-
ponents on it that can be rebuilt,” he
said. “If not then we buy new.”
The process typically starts with
a phone call. “We will go take a look
at it, and then figure out a time and
date that we can get started on it,”
Pearson said.
The customer brings it in and
then “we tear it down and do an eval-
uation of it,” Pearson said. “Some
of our customers want you to do an
evaluation and get back with the

26 www.coalage.com July/August 2022

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underground mining continued
Grace Equipment Co. rebuilds almost any make and model scoop to its “original glory” and can upgrade it for improved clearance or rear end ratio.
(Photo: Grace Equipment Co.)
price,” he said. “Some of them that
we have done services for before,
they just send us the scoop.”
Next, “we’ll tear it down to the
frame, rebuild any parts of the frame,
build new frames, put in the center
sections, plumb it, wire it, put the
lights on it, sandblast it, paint it, and
then send it back to the customer.”
In other words, Grace Equipment
rebuilds “it to its original glory,” the
company said.
Sometimes customers want more
than the original glory, and adopt
modifications and upgrades. “Some
people like to change the ratio on the
rear ends on them,” Pearson said.
“Some people want a bit more
ground clearance than others,” he
said. “Some of them want to put on
smaller tires. Some of them want to
put on bigger tires, and we can make
adjustments for that.”
Rebuilds offer several benefits.
“You are looking at a large sum
of money to buy a brand new scoop
when, for less, you can have one com-
pletely rebuilt and all the new up-
dates put on it,” Pearson said.
28 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
Another benefit is the compara-
tively quick turnaround time.
“Some of your other rebuild
shops, and I don’t knock any of them
because I was in mining for 41 years
and I used them all, but most of these
shops are booked up and can’t get a
rebuild out in time,” Pearson said.
“We’ve been fortunate,” he said.
“We have a machine shop where
we make the drive shafts and some
of the component parts, and have
them in house.”
Grace Equipment can rebuild
most makes and models. “We are fully
equipped to handle any size mining
scoop,” the company said.
“We do all the scoops that are out
there,” Pearson said. “We get parts for
them, and we make parts for them.”
The rebuild offering launched
more than a decade ago.
Before that, Grace was “making the
battery mantrips that haul the men
underground and through the mines,”
Pearson said. At the time, Pearson ran a
contract mining operation at the Patriot
mine, “and as Grace Equipment would
build these new rides, they would bring
them to me and we would try them out
and work all the bugs out of them.”
The mantrips ultimately were
sold “to Peabody Energy and some
of the other larger companies out
there,” he said.
Patriot folded amid a drop in coal
prices. “So I went to work for Randy
Workman, president of Grace Equip-
ment, and helped him grow the busi-
ness. We expanded into rebuild ser-
vices and bought our warehouse and
shop and its equipment,” Pearson
said. “For the past 10 years we’ve done
a wide variety of equipment rebuilds
and component manufacturing.”
Over time, the offering grew, along
with the demand for service. “We’ve
proven that we can do the job,” Pear-
son said. “We stand behind our work.”
The company is staffed and
equipped to go on location to sup-
port customers. “If we have to go
underground, we go underground.
We’ve got all our people certified for
that,” Pearson said.
“Customer satisfaction is our top
priority,” he said. “That is our number
one goal.”
haul trucks
Electrification, Tire Solutions Seek
to Win Acceptance
Existing stationary charging solutions are too slow and can’t charge a massive battery-electric
powered truck within its haul cycle. The Charge On Innovation Challenge is aimed at attracting
both traditional and nontraditional vendors to develop commercializable solutions to the problem.
The Charge On Innovation Challenge,
a competition sponsored by BHP, Rio
Tinto, Vale and other mining indus-
try patrons interested in accelerat-
ing commercialization of solutions
for fast-charging large electric haul
trucks, recently chose eight contes-
tants’ submissions for further consid-
eration. The finalists will collaborate
with mining companies, OEMs and
investors to support the future roll-
out of zero-emissions fleets, accord-
ing to contest sponsors.
The eight finalists include ABB,
Ampcontrol and Tritium (Australia),
BluVein XL, DB Engineering & Con-
sulting with Echion Technologies,
Hitachi Energy, Shell Consortium,
Siemens Off-board power supply, and
3ME Technology.
The challenge, launched in 2021,
invited vendors and technology inno-
vators to work with the mining industry
to present novel electric truck charging
solutions. The challenge received in-
terest from more than 350 companies
across 19 industries, with more than 80
companies submitting expressions of
interest. Twenty-one companies were
30 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
then invited to present a detailed pitch
of their solution. The final eight were
chosen from these 21 companies.
GHD, a professional services
company, facilitated the Charge On
Innovation Challenge and will sup-
port the next step — the process of
establishing consortia to drive testing
of preferred technologies. GHD’s role
builds on the work of Austmine to
launch the challenge, which attract-
ed a number of supporting organiza-
tions, OEMs and investors.
The crux of the challenge is that
diesel-powered haul truck fleets are
responsible for up to 80% of a mine’s
emissions, but electrifying them re-
quires charging systems capable of de-
livering energy at unprecedented pow-
er levels during operations. Here are
thumbnail descriptions of the various
approaches proposed by the finalists.
ABB said by applying its ABB Ability
eMine framework of methods and solu-
tions, it can provide a dual-charging
system solution for stationary and
in-motion charging that leverages stan-
dardized infrastructure and onboard
systems and components.
Ampcontrol and Tritium’s min-
ing haul truck battery swap solution is
described as an end-to-end, ultra-fast
modular recharging station that is fully
automated, relocatable, scalable and
cell agnostic. In this drive-in/drive-out
approach, an autonomous transfer ro-
bot swaps batteries in 90 seconds.
BluVeinXL offered a dynamic
charging technology solution for
heavy battery electric vehicles in
open-pit mining and safely, which
allows grid power to be used to
power the electric drive motors and
charge the onboard vehicle battery
simultaneously.
DB Engineering & Consulting
(DB E&C) and Echion Technologies
said they developed a Catenary and
Advanced Battery Technology system
that combines proven rail industry
technology with cutting edge XNO
battery chemistry.
Hitachi Energy (see sidebar page
32) proposed a solution that said it ad-
dresses the sustainability needs of the
mining industry without compromis-
ing the productivity of the mine. Us-
ing Grid-eMotion Flash, the proposed
solution will rapidly and safely charge
the haul trucks’ batteries in just a few
minutes, according to the company. A
holistic and detailed monitoring and
control solution for the charging pro-
cess and the grid connection system
is provided by its e-mesh digital solu-
tions for e-mobility.
Shell Consortium’s approach com-
bines a high-powered battery solution
with ultra-fast charging and a stan-
dardized microgrid energy system.
Siemens’ patented solution com-
bines a proven off-board energy
source (trolley substation and over-
head catenary) with onboard energy
storage (LTO batteries) capable of
dynamic 6C and more than 400-kWh
in-cycle charging while simultane-

ously providing increased power to
the wheels to decrease overall cycle
time and increase productivity.
3ME Technology’s solution is de-
scribed as a purpose-refined version
of its novel Bladevolt Battery System
to fit the requirements of haul truck
operations. The Bladevolt XL system
will be scalable to fit varied truck siz-
es, cost-effective and compliant with
the proposed charging infrastructure,
as well as enabled to capture and an-
alyze critical data that will help im-
prove operations going forward, the
company said.
OTR Wheel/Tire Combo
Goes Airless
An Arizona, USA-based engineering
company is taking a serious stab at
reinventing the wheel, having devel-
oped and tested what it claims is an
eco-friendly, cost-effective, stronger,
and safer alternative to traditional
rubber-tire-and-wheel combinations
for large off-road equipment.
The company, Global Air Cyl-
inder Wheels (GACW), said it has
raised more than $2.5 million on eq-
uity crowdfunding site StartEngine
to further advance its Air Suspension
Wheel (ASW), a patented airless me-
chanical design. The ASW combines
an inner steel hub with an outer steel
drum that is connected by eight to
12 nitrogen-filled cylinders and four
to six oil-filled dampers that provide
suspension. Individual bolt-on steel
or polyurethane treads are fitted to
the outer drum, and can be replaced
without removing the wheel, accord-
ing to the company.
Dr. Zoltan Kemeny, president and
CEO of GACW, explained that “as op-
posed to the traditional pneumatic
tire providing suspension outside
the rim, the ASW suspension is lo-
cated inside the wheel. Essentially,
our wheels become part of the ve-
hicle’s overall suspension system.
Our wheels are an effective and via-
ble option to rubber tires. They are
cost-efficient, safer and are better for
July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 31
Anglo Rolls Out Hydrogen-powered Haul Truck
Anglo American recently unveiled a proto-
type of the world’s largest hydrogen-pow-
ered haul truck designed to operate in
everyday mining conditions at its Mogal-
akwena platinum group metals mine in
South Africa. The 2-MW hydrogen-battery
hybrid truck, generating more power than
its diesel predecessor and capable of
carrying a 290-metric-ton (mt) payload,
is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero
Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS).
This is the first time a truck of this size
and weight (510 mt laden, which includes a
220-mt gross vehicle weight and a payload
capacity of 290 mt) has been converted to
run on hydrogen that will be produced on-
site in hybrid combination with a battery.
The nuGen truck uses a hybrid hydro-
gen fuel cell providing roughly half of the
power and a battery pack for the other half, to
allow energy recovery from braking. Hydrogen
enters the fuel cell from the tank and mixes
with oxygen to create water in a chemical re-
action catalyzed by platinum. This generates
electricity that is used to power the motors
that drive the wheels. The only emission from
the vehicle is water vapor.
The 2-MW hybrid battery/hydrogen
fuel cell powerplant, which replaces the die-
sel engine installed, has been designed by
Anglo American and First Mode in Seattle,
USA. The power management and battery
systems in the truck have been developed
to improve overall efficiency by recovering
energy when the haul trucks travel downhill,
through regenerative braking. By harvesting
the regenerative energy created when driv-
ing downhill, it reduces the need for external
This is the first time a 290-mt haul truck has been converted to run on hydrogen. (Photo:
Anglo American)
haul trucks continued
energy. This energy, stored in the battery, to-
gether with the hydrogen, extends the truck’s
range and reduces the out-of-cycle time for
the trucks, since hydrogen refueling is sig-
nificantly faster than recharging batteries.
As part of the integrated nuGen solu-
tion, Anglo has also built a hydrogen pro-
duction, storage, and refueling complex at
Mogalakwena that incorporates the largest
electrolyzer in Africa and a solar PV field to
support the operation of the haul truck. nu-
Gen is part of FutureSmart Mining, Anglo’s
innovation-led approach to sustainable
mining, which brings together technology
and digitalization to drive sustainability
outcomes, including its commitment to car-
bon-neutrality across its operations by 2040.
“nuGen is a tangible demonstra-
tion of our FutureSmart Mining program
changing the future of our industry,” An-
glo American CEO Duncan Wanblad said.
“With diesel emissions from our haul truck
fleet accounting for about 10%-15% of our
total Scope 1 emissions, this is an import-
ant step on our pathway to carbon neutral
operations by 2040. The mining industry is
playing a considerable role in helping the
world decarbonize, both through our own
emissions footprint and the metals and
minerals that we produce that are critical to
low carbon energy and transport systems.”
Over the next several years, Anglo
plans to convert or replace its current
fleet of diesel-powered trucks with this ze-
ro-emission haulage system, fueled with
green hydrogen. If this pilot is successful,
the company could remove up to 80% of
diesel emissions at its open-pit mines.
haul trucks continued
The ASW, according to its developer, is intended to have the same lifespan as the vehicle itself
(approximately 10 to 15 years), meaning fewer replacement costs and less time spent changing
tires. (Photo: Global Air Cylinder Wheels)
Charging Haulers in a Flash
Hitachi Energy was named as one of the eight finalists in the
Charge On Challenge. According to the company (formerly
known as Hitachi ABB Power Grids), the principal innovative
features of its proposal include:
• Delivering 8 MW of power, enabling vehicles to be charged
in just a few minutes in a safe way and allowing trucks to
operate 24/7.
• Delivering an interoperable, flexible Energy Transfer Sys-
tem (ETS) that is free of any catenary infrastructure and
that can easily adapt to mine site changes over time.
• Dynamic energy management to increase reliability, re-
siliency and power quality as mining operations transition
to broader electrification including their larger haul trucks.
• Achieving greater levels of sustainability while maintain-
ing core operating practices and productivity of the mine.
Matt Zafuto, Hitachi Energy’s vice president of industry
solutions, commented on how the company’s proposed innova-
tions and overall technical competency led to a spot in the final
group of eight.
Coal Age: Congratulations to Hitachi Energy for being selected
as one of eight vendors shortlisted in the Charge On Innovation
Challenge. There are several other major players in the list with
extensive experience in electrical engineering and industrial
software as well. In what areas of high-capacity fast-charging
technology does Hitachi Energy believe it has a competitive edge
when applied to large haul trucks and other OTR equipment?
Zafuto: Our expertise spans end-to-end mining processes in-
cluding core assets, systems and digital technology enablers
and the interdependencies amongst the systems, assets and
workforce. Our core competency with regards to microgrids,
utility grids and electrification of industrial processes is indus-
32 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
the environment, and for those in-
dustries that rely heavily on tires.”
In development since 2015, ASW
technology has been tested in re-
al-world conditions, according to the
company. Pointing out that rapid wear
and tear caused by impacts, rock cuts,
and extreme and uneven loading mean
the lifespan of an expensive mining tire
is short, the ASW, by contrast, is dura-
ble and designed to have the same
lifespan as the vehicle itself (approxi-
mately 10 to 15 years), meaning fewer
replacement costs and less time spent
swapping out damaged tires. Unlike
rubber tires, the ASW can be leased,
with a 15% residual value after 10 years
of service, according to the company.
GACW said the major features and
benefits of ASW technology include:
try-leading, and our proven ability to innovate in other market
segments such as rail and buses highlights our capability to
deliver leading edge solutions as vehicles electrify. Bringing
these three areas together positions us optimally to deliver in-
novations to this critical industry.
Coal Age: Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eMotion Flash technology has
been used in on-highway transportation applications. Does Hi-
tachi’s experience in that sector carry over to the technology’s
use in mining applications in any significant way? What kind of
adaptation is needed to transition the technology from trans-
portation to mining applications?
Zafuto: Our expertise in transportation gives us an excellent
starting point with which to innovate. Because of our transpor-
tation expertise, we will have the ability to focus on “innovation,
not invention.” Adaptations include ruggedizing our solutions
for mining environments as well as adding mobility to the way-
side and Energy Transfer System in order to adapt and change
as the mine site changes.
Coal Age: How would the use of Hitachi’s flash charging tech-
nology change the nature of today’s typical mine infrastructure?
And broadly speaking, what changes would be needed, if any,
in operator training, worker safety or maintenance know-how to
sustain the system operationally?
Zafuto: Several core business processes will change, including
maintenance of the vehicles, refueling practices, integration
with autonomous vehicle systems and, most of all, more com-
prehensive energy and power quality management. In fact, our
digital solutions will be a key driver of value and a crucial part
of accelerating our innovations.

• Durable and heat resistant, re-
ducing downtime caused by tire
failure and replacement.
• Safer, with no risk of explosion.
• Installation requires no special-
ized equipment, and individually
replaceable treads do not require
wheel removal.
• Self-aligning, self-balancing; no
wheel rotation necessary.
• No need for tire pressure and
temperature checks.
• Up to 40% higher payload capacity.
• Saves at least 8% fuel.
• Reduces cost per hour/mile by
up to 60%.
• Up to 30% reduced rolling re-
sistance, reducing CO2 and NOX
emissions.
The ASW design is the latest effort
in a decades-long search for a safer,
more reliable and less-expensive —
in total ownership cost — alternative
to the conventional OTR tire/wheel
July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 33
haul trucks continued
combinations. For example, Good-
year introduced a two-piece tire de-
sign in 2003 featuring an interchange-
able tread and carcass system. Known
as the Two-Piece Assembly, the prod-
uct consisted of a tread unit — a cir-
cular belt composed of multi-strand
cable bonded to conventionally con-
figured tread material — and a pneu-
matic carcass unit. The inside of the
tread belt had raised circumferential
bands that interlocked with grooves
on the carcass, eliminating the need
for any sort of fastener system to lock
the two units together. When the tread The ASW’s nitrogen-filled cylinders and
oil-filled dampers comprise a suspension
belt needed to be changed, the carcass design that can accommodate larger
was deflated slightly, the old tread belt payloads, according to the vendor.
was slipped off with the help of a fork-
lift, and the new tread belt was put in 63-in. versions. Although Goodyear
place and secured against slippage by claimed the design offered benefits in
reinflating the carcass. terms of reduced tire-change down-
Goodyear initially offered the two- time, better traction and improved heat
piece assembly in a 45R57 size, to be dissipation, the product did not gener-
followed at a later date by 51-in. and ate significant market acceptance.
operating ideas

Floating New Ideas

by carly leonida, european editor

Flotation might be one of the longest

standing techniques in beneficiation,
but it’s certainly not standing still.
Today, new cell designs and digital-
ly enabled control and monitoring
technologies are not only driving ef-
ficiencies in traditional applications,
but also opening new ones.
FLSmidth launched two new
products, the WEMCO II and the
REFLUX Flotation Cell (RFC), at the
2022 Society for Mining, Metallurgy
and Exploration (SME) conference
and exhibition earlier this year.
There are more than 40,000
WEMCO flotation cells installed at
mining operations across the globe,
and the WEMCO II builds upon this
success, incorporating improvements
to the WEMCO rotor and stator/hood
to lower power consumption, while
increasing air flow and slurry pump-
ing. The results are better hydrody-
namics and circulation, improved FLSmidth’s REFLUX Flotation Cell and WEMCO II on display at SME 2022. (Photo: FLSmidth)
kinetics and performance, optimized
energy efficiency and lower operating major project objectives and possible “Designing WEMCO II, we used
costs, and the ability to control air design changes,” Lelinski said. “In the our experience and lessons learned
without an external air supply. next stage, we worked in two parallel from the nextSTEP rotor/stator tech-
paths: 3D printing of dozens of rotor/ nology development to improve four
WEMCO, But Better disperser concepts followed by tests selected areas: metallurgical perfor-
Dariusz Lelinski, FLSmidth’s global in the laboratory environment (met- mance, air control with the self-as-
product line manager for flotation, allurgical performance) and making pirated method of air induction,
spoke about the new design. computational fluid dynamic (CFD) lower power consumption through
“WEMCO is the most popular flo- models of these concepts for hydro- more efficient slurry and air pump-
tation machine in the world,” he ex- dynamic evaluation. Based on the re- ing, and reduction of the ‘WEMCO
plained. “The rotor/disperser/hood sults, the selected concepts were mod- wave,’” Lelinski said. “We believe
design for conventional WEMCO ified and tested more intensively.” that a controlled wave is beneficial
machines had not been modified for The best performing units were for froth recovery.”
a while, and we decided recently that then tested at pilot scale — 1.5 m3 — in WEMCO II is similar to the next-
it was a good time to improve it as we plant conditions using a distribution STEP rotor/stator, which FLSmidth
could see some real benefits.” box and two units — conventional launched in 2015, as it has a new ro-
The goal of the WEMCO II project WEMCO and WEMCO II — for the best tor design for more efficient pump-
was to improve specific areas of the possible comparison. The top perform- ing, and the disperser was replaced
WEMCO and to make the new devel- ing WEMCO II rotor/disperser/hood by a stator with blades. This results
opments easy to retrofit into exist- design was selected to be retrofitted in smaller bubbles and better energy
ing machines. into two WEMCO 1+1 cells in rough- dissipation.
“We started with a brainstorming er duties, and two WEMCO SmartCell Lelinski added: “We also rede-
session with FLSmidth experts from 250-m3 units in rougher and scavenger signed the WEMCO standpipe to sta-
many departments and came up with duties. These tests are now under way. bilize the vortex and slurry surface.

34 www.coalage.com July/August 2022


Of course, all these changes are
unique and patent protected.”
WEMCO II components have
been designed to be retrofitted to all
existing WEMCO cells, which lowers
the cost barrier for mines with an
existing installed equipment base.
As with the conventional WEMCO,
WEMCO II is best suited to rougher
applications where the recovery is
the most important part of the per-
formance; rotor placement at the
top assures its advantage in this part
of the flowsheet.
REFLUX Receives Official Launch
The RFC has now evolved from con-
ceptual design to a full-scale indus-
trial machine. Several laboratory and
pilot test campaigns have been exe-
cuted with results consistently show-
ing improved recovery in a fraction
of the footprint normally associated
with open tank, traditional flotation.
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FLSmidth described the RFC as
“a ground-breaking technology that
reduces plant footprint as well as
water, air and energy requirements.”
Aside from reducing capital expen-
diture by 35%, the RFC requires no
direct power input, which can lower
energy use in a flotation circuit by
up to 60%. Improved kinetic effi-
ciency reduces the amount of water
used in the recovery process, and
the nature of the technology also re-
duces the plant footprint, requiring
less concrete for installation than
traditional systems.
“The RFC is essentially a staged
flotation device where feed is
pre-contacted in a sparger system,
ensuring elevated collision and at-
tachment rates,” said Lance Christ-
odoulou, global product line manager
for REFLUX Technologies. “This con-
tacted bubbly mixture is transported
downward into the main chamber of
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operating ideas continued
the RFC where air fractions in the or-
der of 45% are present. Consequently,
this provides an order of magnitude
greater bubble surface area for fur-
ther collection of floatable material.”
The system is “frothless.” The
bubbly mixture is transported to
the overflow while being washed
with fluidized water to produce high
grade concentrates. The cell operates
with a strong positive bias or down-
ward volumetric flow, and the in-
clined channels allow for enhanced
bubble-liquid segregation affording
downward velocities in excess of
bubble terminal rise rates. This en-
ables the RFC to process feed fluxes
much greater than the typical indus-
trial limit of about 1 cm/second.
This article was adapted from an ar-
ticle that was originally published in
the April 2022 edition of Engineering
& Mining Journal.
30
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suppliers news
Liebherr Mining to Unveil New Mid-class
Excavator and Other Innovations at Bauma
Liebherr Mining will showcase its latest technology at the Bauma trade fair. (Image: Liebherr)
At Bauma, which will be held October
24-30, in Munich, Germany, Liebherr
Mining will unveil a new mid-size
class hydraulic excavator — the sec-
ond Generation 8 machine within the
Liebherr Mining portfolio. The T 274,
a 305-metric-ton mining truck, will
be on display, featuring trolley assist.
In the dedicated technology pavilion,
visitors will also experience the latest
products and services from Liebherr
Mining’s Technology Product portfo-
lio, including the company’s modular
approach to emission reduction.
The Generation 8 excavator that
will be displayed at Bauma 2022 has
already entered the testing phase,
with the company planning the start
of serial production in early 2024.
Other mining excavator technology
products to be presented will include
the Truck Loading Assistant, Perfor-
mance Monitoring and Application
Severity analytic products, Liebherr
Power Efficiency, and the Bucket Fill-
ing Assistant, which offers the first
step towards excavator automation.
Designed and adapted from years
of experience in mining truck devel-
opment, the T 274 provides fast cycle
times, higher production rates, low
fuel consumption, and a low cost per
36 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
ton. A wide range of options are avail-
able for the T 274 and the entire Lieb-
herr haul truck product line, including
the Trolley Assist System and the next
generation of interoperable machine
automation solutions.
The Liebherr Trolley Assist Sys-
tem uses an overhead pantograph to
connect the electric-drive system to
a mine site’s electrical network, pow-
ered by the customer’s energy source
of choice. The Trolley Assist System of-
fers increased truck fleet productivity,
and potential for reduction in fleet size
while maintaining yearly production,
when compared with standard trucks.
For trucks, Liebherr Mining will
showcase the Trolley Guidance Sys-
tem, Crusher Guidance System, and
autonomous haulage solutions. Trade
fair visitors will learn about Liebherr’s
industry-first open protocol, which de-
livers the next generation of interoper-
able autonomous haulage solutions.
Supporting all product lines, the
Liebherr digital platform, compris-
ing products to support assets, oper-
ations, and maintenance activities,
will be displayed at the technology
pavilion. These products use ma-
chine-generated data to provide rec-
ommendations and insights to drive
fleet availability, performance, en-
hanced machine health, and improve
the customer’s service journey.
AspenTech to Acquire Micromine
A global leader in industrial software,
AspenTech announced that it has en-
tered into a definitive agreement to
acquire Micromine, a global leader in
design and operational management
solutions for the mining industry, for
$623 million in cash.
AspenTech said the transaction
complements its existing asset opti-
mization solutions and positions the
company in a leadership role to de-
liver the “Digital Mine of the Future,”
in support of excellence in operations
with a focus on safety, sustainability,
reliability, and efficiency. In addition,
the company said its experience in
digitally transforming the chemicals
and oil and gas industries will be crit-
ical to the mining industry as it em-
barks on rapid digitalization.
“Digitalization is critical for the
metals and mining industry to be-
come sustainably sound and oper-
ationally excellent for generations
to come,” said AspenTech President
and CEO Antonio Pietri. “AspenTech’s
product portfolio and worldwide
reach with Micromine’s mission-crit-
ical technology and leadership in the
mining industry will equip customers
with a comprehensive offering and the
end-to-end ability to drive efficiencies
across the entire mining value chain.”
With a 35-year track record of
success and 280 employees across 22
global offices, Micromine products
are used at more than 2,000 sites in
over 90 countries. The software sys-
tems cover the entire mining lifecycle,
from geological exploration and data
management to resource estimation,
3D mine design, planning, schedul-
ing and production control.

Surface Miner Offers Durability, Comfort
The Wirtgen 280 SM(i) is a high-per-
formance surface miner designed for
the reliable and selective extraction by
direct loading, sidecasting, or cut-to-
ground. Raw materials are extracted
and crushed in a single operation —
without drilling and blasting, and with
minimal environmental impact. The
280 SM(i) is driven by four steerable
and height-adjustable crawler units.
The machine is highly maneuverable
and can be quickly turned at the end
of a cut. The Level Pro Active automatic
leveling system maintains the specified
cutting depth with consistent high pre-
cision and no need for additional aids.
The 9 ft (2,750 mm) cutting drum
unit with a cutting depth of up to 26
in. (650 mm) is precisely adaptable to
each specific application and achieves
outstanding cutting performance with
minimal pick wear. Wear-resistant tool-
holder systems ensure optimal pick
utilization and minimal downtimes.
The soft rock drum is designed espe-
cially for high material flows in soft cut-
ting conditions. In contrast, the hard
rock cutting drum ensures maximum
durability in harder formations.
The 280 SM(i) surface miner’s air-conditioned and soundproofed operator’s cabin, with
all-round glazing, is swivel-mounted on the front chassis column and provides a productive
working environment with a low risk of fatigue. (Photo: Wirtgen)
July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 37
The operator’s cabin contributes
to the operator’s ability to exploit
the full potential of the machine
and maximize productivity. Wirtgen
said the 280 SM(i) surface miner
is therefore the tool of choice for
cost-efficient mining processes in
the 120-ton class.
The high-performance, hydrau-
lically height-adjustable, rear dis-
charge conveyor with a movable
counterweight can be slewed to the
right and left by 90°, enabling the
loading of 100-ton haul trucks. The
operator can continuously vary the
speed of the belt independent of the
engine speed to reduce belt wear de-
pending on the material volume and
the piece-size of the mined material.
Entirely new standards are set by
the dust-sealed and air-conditioned
positive-pressure cabin with fresh
air filtration, which effectively pre-
vents the entering of dust into the
operator’s workplace. Mounted on
the front left chassis column, the op-
erator’s cabin, with all round glazing,
is decoupled from the machine body
and can be rotated by 90° in both di-
product news
rections. Up to six cameras can also
be installed to provide even better
all-round vision. Various automatic
functions also contribute to operator
comfort, reduce the risk of fatigue, as-
sist the operator in the achievement
of high productivity rates, and make
the overall process more efficient.
For the new surface miner, Wirt-
gen offers innovative technologies
that minimize impact on the environ-
ment and conserve valuable natural
resources. Thanks to the reduction of
carbon emissions through low spe-
cific fuel consumption, an efficient
water management system, and ef-
fective solutions for the minimization
of dust pollution, the 280 SM(i) shows
that environmental and economic
considerations can be compatible
and are closely interconnected.
www.wirtgen.com
Brady Bits
A trusted partner in
optimizing production
by providing long-lasting
mining tools:
• Dry roof bits
• Wet roof bits
• Reamers
visit: ussmining.com
product news continued
Fluids Analysis Program
The Ridgeline Fluids Analysis detects
problems before they occur. The pro-
gram provides a comprehensive anal-
ysis of equipment’s used oil/fluids
every time the fluids and lubricants
are changed. This provides critical
insight into the equipment’s perfor-
mance trends, as fluids analysis ex-
plains the engine’s performance level
over time. Going beyond just oil anal-
ysis, Ridgeline also offers coolant, fuel
and diesel exhaust fluid analysis — all
from a user-friendly app and website.
Maintenance technicians will
ship four-to-six ounces of the used
oil or fluid to the Ridgeline labora-
tory in a QR code-labeled test tube
for the analysis of over 25 analytes to
detect wear and contamination and
determine fluid condition. The test
tube can be tracked and labeled in
the app, where results will be shared.
The program delivers a time-sensi-
tive 24- to 48-hour turnaround time
38 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
and provides a quick and accurate istics as well as an inherent ability to
trend analysis. withstand impact-load conditions.
www.ridgelinelubricants.com FAG Split Cylindrical Roller Bear-
ings are available in 40-to 300-mm
Split Cylindrical Roller Bearings sizes. Larger sizes and special designs
FAG Split Cy- can be custom-ordered.
lindrical Roll- www.schaeffler.com
er Bearings
can be easily Density Measuring System
mounted and The SmartSeries
dismounted LB 414 radiometric
on a shaft, re- density measure-
ducing down- ment system con-
time, the company said. tinuously monitors
The housing is made from pow- solids content in the
der-coated, high-strength ductile thickener underflow.
iron, with steel available upon re- The device ensures
quest. The cartridge and housing smooth process flow
are self-aligning. The bearing as- and prevents pipes
sembly features rolling elements as and valves from clogging. It can also be
well as inner and outer races that used to control the flocculant feeding
are made from through-hardened rate. When used with a flow meter, the
steel, a high-carbon-chrome low- LB 414 can determine mass flow. The
alloy steel that provides excellent load- non-contact installation avoids wear.
bearing strength and wear character- www.berthold.com
CONSULTANTS, SERVICES
CONSULTANTS, SERVICES
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION:
Midwest/Eastern U.S. & Canada
Craig Scharf
Tel: +1 904-721-2925 ext. 106
cscharf@mining-media.com
Western U.S., Canada & Australia
Frank Strazzulla
Tel: +1 949-459-1767
fstrazzulla@mining-media.com
July/August 2022 www.coalage.com 39
HELP WANTED ADVERTISING INDEX PAGE
.......................................................
Bluefield Coal & Mining Show 2022........ 22
Brady Mining........................................... 37
Conn-Weld Industries LLC......................... 3
Conspec Controls.................................... 21
Elgin Separation Solutions.....................IBC
Haulage & Loading 2023...................... 29
J.H. Fletcher & Co................................. IFC
Jennmar Corp........................................BC
Joburg Indaba 2022 - Resources4Africa....27
Koehler Brightstar................................. 23
Matrix................................................... 35
Mining Media Int’l - Subscriptions........ 33
Richwood Industries Inc.......................... 9
Saminco Inc.......................................... 35
Schurco Slurry....................................... 13
US Coal Show 2023..........................15-19
World Mining Equipment (WME)............ 38
This index is provided as an additional service.
The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.
Scandinavia, U.K. & European Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Colm Barry Gerd D. Strasmann
Tel: +46 (0) 736 334670 Tel: +49 202 28 14 64 83
colm.barry@womp-int.com info@strasmann-media.de
Japan
Masao Ishiguro
Tel: +81 (3) 3719-0775
ma.ishiguro@w9.dion.ne.jp
marketwatch
Changing Trade Flows for Coking Coal
by warren patterson
Coking coal has
had a volatile year
so far. Russia’s in-
vasion of Ukraine
has led to supply
concerns as buyers
shun Russian coal.
This comes at a time when Australian
coking coal exports have suffered due
to bad weather.
Supply tightness has led to record
prices. Australian coking coal prices
have traded at record levels this year.
Prices broke above $600 per metric
ton (mt) at one stage in March. Rain-
fall and floods in Australia also tight-
ened up the supply side. The market
has given back a lot of these gains as
trade flows slowly adjust, and amid
worries over Chinese demand and the
expectation that Australian flows will
recover as we head into the dry sea-
son. However, the market is still up
more than 20% year-to-date.
Russia is a fairly large exporter
of coking coal, making up around
9% of global export volumes, leav-
ing it in a tied third position with
Canada among the largest exporters.
Therefore the bans we have seen im-
posed by some countries, along with
self-sanctioning, have had an impact
on the market. The European Union
(EU) imports of Russian coking coal
in March (latest available data from
Eurostat) have fallen by around 35%
year-on-year, and given the EU ban
on Russian coal, these volumes will
only continue to trend lower. Japan
and South Korea have also reduced
volumes, with imports falling 45%
and 38% year-on-year, respectively,
in April. However, these reductions
have been more than offset by China,
which increased Russian coking coal
imports in April by 124% year-on-year.
India will probably pick up a larger
share of discounted Russian coking
40 www.coalage.com July/August 2022
coal, which would free up alternative
supplies (Australian) for those buyers
who are avoiding Russian coal.
While the Russian sanctions have
raised supply concerns, Australia has
struggled to help the market out with
stronger export flows. Instead, exports
have been under pressure for much of
the year due to heavy rainfall in both
Queensland and New South Wales.
And this follows weaker exports over
2021, with a little over 167 million mt
shipped last year — the weakest vol-
umes since 2012. The latest data from
the Australian Bureau of Statistics
shows that exports over the first four
months of the year totaled 51.8 mil-
lion mt, down 7% year-on-year. This is
the slowest pace of exports since 2017
when Cyclone Debbie disrupted pro-
duction. However, given that Australia
is moving further into the dry season,
the market should see a recovery in
coking coal exports. Demand for Aus-
tralian coal should also be robust giv-
en that many buyers will be looking
for alternatives to Russian supply.
Trade data is yet to reflect any sig-
nificant changes in Australian trade
flows. In April, 32% of Australian cok-
ing coal went to India, compared to
34% in April 2021. It may still be too
soon to see India shifting to discount-
ed Russian coal, or at least for it to be
reflected in trade data. Also, given the
wind-down period in Russian coal
flows to the EU, it will likely take some
time for this share to grow. There have
been reports of increased interest from
EU buyers for Australian coking coal.
Chinese imports are still strug-
gling to get back to pre-2020 levels.
Since the unofficial ban on Austra-
lian coal, China’s coking coal imports
have struggled to reach pre-ban lev-
els. This is despite China importing
larger volumes from Russia in recent
months. Given the prospect of sev-
eral countries increasingly shunning
Russian coal, we could very well see
Russian volumes to China continue
to grow. But up until now, clearly no
other origin has been able to make up
the shortfall from Australia. Reduced
flows from Mongolia due to Covid-19
restrictions have also had an impact
on overall imports.
Despite lower Chinese imports,
the spread between Chinese domestic
futures and Australian coking coal has
narrowed from the $200/mt plus lev-
els seen in 2021. In fact, we have seen
periods this year when Chinese do-
mestic coking coal futures have traded
at a discount to Australian coking coal.
There are a number of reasons
behind the weakening in the spread.
In China, domestic coal output has
ramped up given concerns over do-
mestic energy supply. In addition,
demand has been under pressure.
Policy to cap steel output should
weigh on demand. China aims to re-
duce steel output further this year af-
ter seeing a decline in output in 2021
for the first time since 2015. In addi-
tion, Covid-related restrictions this
year have hit demand although the
Covid impact should start to subside
as restrictions are gradually eased. If
China continues with its zero-Covid
policy, however, this will remain a
downside risk for demand.
These more bearish develop-
ments in the Chinese market have
come at a time when Australian ex-
ports have been under pressure while
there has been a fair amount of sup-
port due to bans and self-sanctioning
of Russian coal.
Based in Singapore, Patterson is Head
of Commodities Strategy for ING. He
covers the entire commodities com-
plex and can be reached at Warren.
Patterson@asia.ing.com.
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