COAL AND SOFT-ROCK DEVELOPMENTS
Dealing with volatility
Coal and soft-rock technology developments continue to advance in the face of longer-term uncertainty , Dan Gleeson discovers
For all the discussion about coal ’ s demise , the demand and supply fundamentals today continue to show evidence of a strong market .
The removal of key markets out of the east due to war in Ukraine has shortened global supplies , while the continued need to make more steel and effectively heat homes and industry has resulted in balanced demand .
Such a backdrop contrasts with the longerterm market forecasts for both types of coal – thermal and coking . Yet , the realities associated with shifting away from commodities that have been an ever-present for centuries means the respective industries will not simply be turned off overnight .
Those technology suppliers that understand this dynamic and are free from stakeholder demands to urgently curb their coal business are , therefore , coming to the fore .
Long-term longwalls
Family-owned , Germany-headquartered company , Eickhoff , has been making significant inroads in key longwall markets as its “ last man serving ” philosophy has hit all the right notes with coal producers looking for such long-term support .
Offering a uniquely high level of vertical integration with a captive foundry and the ability to call on an 80-strong team of engineers focused on longwall technology , Eickhoff has cemented its place in the longwall shearer and continuous miner sectors by offering stability amid recent market volatility .
“ We have supplied our global customers safely and stably even in difficult phases and were even able to deliver during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic ,” the company told IM last month . “ At the same time , we are investing in the future based on our strategy of being a long-term partner to our customers in the underground mining sector .”
This is seeing the company continue to optimise its line of longwall shearers – the SL 300 , SL 300 L ( for thin seam mining ), SL 500 , SL 750 , SL 900 and SL 1000 – to provide the most productive and efficient shearing processes possible .
“ We are confident we can offer longwall customers the most productive machines on the market that enable them to extract coal in the most efficient way possible ,” the company said . Such abilities are important for all mining companies across the globe , many of whom are being scrutinised for their sustainable operating practices .
“ Our productivity and efficiency efforts reflect the fact that no alternative for coking coal has yet been proven to work on a commercial basis , as well as the understanding that for underdeveloped and developing economies to reach the levels of economic activity they are aiming for , thermal coal is still required as a base load power source ,” Eickhoff said .
Speaking of productivity , Eickhoff is continuing to partner with mining companies all over the globe to increase their levels of automation .
Key longwall coal operations leveraged SL 900
HBT ’ s aim is to become a leader in fully integrated longwall mining systems and service solutions , for coal and other soft-rock applications
and SL 750 shearers from Eickhoff to reach major 100 % autonomous milestones last year , and there are many other operations in Australia reaching similar levels , according to Eickhoff .
“ In co-operation with an Australian customer , we were able to show for the first time worldwide , in 2022 , that a longwall can be operated almost exclusively on an automated basis for several weeks ,” the company said . “ We continue to optimise and develop the hardware and software hand-in-hand with our customers with the aim of fully automating the underground coal market and , thus , significantly improving safety , key performance indicators and costs .”
In China , more coal mining companies are also buying hardware or software to enable higher levels of automation , the company said . “ While there are domestic shearer producers in China , every ‘ high performing ’ mine there tends to buy our machines and equip them for high levels of automation .”
Outside of automation , Eickhoff sees potential in both the longwall and room and pillar sectors to “ further maximise ” the performance of the entire mining process chain – “ from extraction , to loading , to conveying ”, it said .
“ We start with the mining machine and continuously improve the safety , performance , ease of maintenance and operating cost in order
60 International Mining | AUGUST 2023