JOY MINING AND SOUTH EASTERN COALFIELDS LTD TIE-UP FOR CONTINUOUS MINER PROJECT IN CHIRIMIRI

摘要

India's first Continuous Miner Project (CMP) became operational at the Chirimiri Zero Seam Anjan Hill Mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) on 25th May. The project, that is being implemented by Joy Mining Machinery Limited, UK, has the potential of revitalising the underground coal mining industry in India.G.K.Jha, then Chairman and Managing Director SECL, said if CMP is a success it would be a milestone for the Indian coal mining industry. "India needs to accelerate underground coal production to meet the growing demand," he said adding that the continuous miner model can provide cost-effective, high-productivity solutions. In fact, with a workforce complement of 83, CMP in Chirimiri has the capacity to produce in excess of 1,100 tonnes per day (tpd). To achieve similar coal production using traditional technology, SECL would require a complement of 1,400 workers. Coal production in India has increased from 73 million tonnes per annum in 1971, to 329 million tonnes per annum in 2001 making India the third largest coal producer. However, bulk of the increase has come from rapid expansion of open cast mining that accounts for 81 per cent of the total production.