African Mining November 2019 | Page 18

 GLOBAL NEWS Russian Coal was founded in 2002. Its production assets are located in three regions of Russia: Amur Region, the Republic of Khakassia and Krasnodar Territory. The company comprises seven coal mines and an enrichment plant, as well as energy supply, transportation and repair divisions. Russian Coal is a major employer, supporting over 4 300 jobs at its enterprises. The company’s total coal reserves as of 2019 (Categories А+В+С1; С2) are in excess of 1.458 billion tonnes. It supplies consumers in 60 regions of the Russian Federation and exports to Poland, China, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, Latvia and other countries. RUSSIA: CENTREPIECE FOR COAL TERMINAL thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions has supplied a new coal handling system to the State Transport Leasing Company (STLC) in Russia. The system will be the centrepiece of a new terminal for coal exports in the port of Lavna near Murmansk, on the western shore of Kola Bay. With a planned capacity of 18 million tonnes of coal per year, the terminal will signifi cantly increase the coal handling capacities of the region. It is expected to be fully operational in 2021. According to Torsten Gerlach, CEO of the mining technologies business unit at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions the company and their partner LNK Industries, will equip one of the largest ports in Russia with a state-of-the-art port handling facility. The terminal project will be completed in two phases: First out- shipments are expected to take place in 2020. In that same year a total of nine million tonnes of coal will be handled on site. thyssenkrupp will supply two ship loaders, stackers, reclaimers and car dumpers as well as one combined stacker-reclaimer, several belt conveyors and auxiliary equipment. The contract includes engineering and procurement, as well as services for site erection and commissioning. Within the project, thyssenkrupp's partner, the Latvian construction company LNK Industries, is responsible for the design and construction of the conveyor system. In order to keep dust emissions from the handling site at a minimum, all coal transfer points, wagon unloading stations as well as ship loaders will be outfi tted with dust suppression equipment. AUSTRALIA: AUTONOMOUS FLEET FOR WESTGOLD Autonomous solutions provider RCT is fi nalising a major automation project for Westgold Resources at fi ve of its mine sites in Western Australia’s Murchison. The package of works involved RCT installing and commissioning its ControlMaster Guidance Automation technology to 10 of Westgold’s underground loader fl eet across their mining operations, including CAT R2900Gs and Sandvik LH517 loaders. RCT will also deliver its latest surface-based ControlMaster Automation Centres equipped with multiple machine selection and multiple machine control options aimed at driving further mining production effi ciencies at each site. Guidance Automation encompasses a fully automated tramming cycle between production level locations which includes proportional braking and automated steering and speed control. In 2021, the volume increases to 18 million tonnes. The project will augment regional coal exports and release pressure on existing terminals in the Baltic Sea. It is closely connected with the development of the Murmansk Transport Hub, one of the biggest ongoing infrastructure projects in the Russian north. RCT is commissioning 10 of Westgold’s underground loader fl eet including CAT R2900Gs and Sandvik LH517 loaders. 16  African Mining  November 2019 www. africanmining.co.za