Raspadskaya to invest more than 13 bln rubles in project to unlock 60 mln tonnes of coal reserves at biggest mine

MEZHDURECHANSK. Aug 23 (Interfax) - PJSC Raspadskaya plans to invest more than 13 billion rubles a project to develop seams containing more than 60 million tonnes of coal at its flagship Raspadskaya Mine, an Interfax correspondent reports from the investment project's official launch ceremony.

The project's first coal face should be launched in 2027. The project is being implemented with partners from China. Raspadskaya Coal Company and Beijing LongRuan Technologies Inc signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday for the exchange of know-how, innovation and development of smart mining.

The new Raspadskaya Mine operation will use 3D geological models. Mining workings will be equipped with video surveillance and intelligent machine vision systems. The coal face will use the latest unmanned coal mining technology - the longwall can be controlled remotely with the help of intelligent systems. Last week, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works announced plans to convert its Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine to unmanned coal mining.

Raspadskaya Coal Company President Ilya Shirokobrod said at earlier on a conference call that the group still planned to increase coal production to 30 million tonnes. But this will be achieved not as previously planned in 2024-2025 and mainly through higher open-cast mine output but over a longer horizon, possibly involving M&A deals.