By Jessica Casey

January 21, 2021 - The Solntsevsky coal mine, the key mining asset of the Eastern Mining Co., for the first time reached a coal production volume of 11 million t at the end of 2020.

In the period from January to December 2020, the Solntsevsky coal mine increased coal production by 1.9 million t compared to the same period in 2019. Stripping work at the opencast increased by 30%. In 2020, almost 97 million m3 of rock mass was displaced.

The Eastern Mining Co. annually increases its export potential. Power-generating coal mined at the Solntsevsky coal mine maintains a highly competitive position in the markets of Southeast Asia. Igor Lastochkin, Deputy General Director for Export of VGK, commented: “In general, in Russia, according to the results of the last year, there was a decrease in coal production. The impact was exerted by restrictions imposed in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a decrease in fuel demand among key consumers from among foreign countries. But despite this, we managed to retain key customers and reach new customers, further expanding the sales market in the Asia-Pacific region."

In order to increase production capacity and increase coal production, Vostochnaya Mining Co. annually invests in the development of the Solntsevsky coal mine, expanding the fleet of mining and auxiliary equipment. The mining fleet of the mine comprises 29 excavators, 36 bulldozers and 140 dump trucks, of which 93 are BelAZ units.

“We are actively introducing a digitalization program at the Solntsevsky coal mine. Dispatching of all mining and transport operations is underway. Technologies are being introduced to reduce fuel costs, repairs and maintenance. As a result, in just 2 years we made a big leap forward in terms of production. In 2018, 7.5 million t of coal were mined. According to the results of work in 2020, 11 million t have already been produced. In 2 years, volumes have grown by 46%. Thanks to the introduction of modern technologies, we are increasing the efficiency of the entire cycle of work, which in the future will allow us to increase the production volume to 20 million t,” added Alexey Sharabarin, Director of the Solntsevsky coal mine.

The timely introduction of a set of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection at production assets had a significant impact on the implementation of the plan. The anti-tectonic protocol is still in effect and allows you to maintain the health of the team and minimise the impact of the pandemic on the workflow.