A proposed Bowen Basin mine is one step closer to construction.
Federal assessment is underway for Vitrinite’s Vulcan South Coal Mine, about 230km southwest of Mackay.
Federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek gave the project the nod after realising the 1.95 million tonne (Mt) operation does not meet the 2 Mt threshold required for an environmental impact statement.
This means the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water could decide whether to grant final approval for the mine.
The department’s EPBC Act Public Portal listed the assessment as “active” at the time of publication.
Click here to read the full summary.
The project involves extracting about 6 Mt of run-of-mine coal at a rate of up to 1.95 Mt per annum throughout its initial seven-year lifespan. At least 150 full time jobs are expected to be created.
The following components will be required:
- roads
- offices
- rail loop
- train load out
- run of mine pad
- explosive magazine
- mine infrastructure area
- fuel storage and workshops
- administration buildings and warehouses
- surface water management infrastructure
- modular coal handling and preparation plant
- permanent storage within active waste rock dumps
- tailings dewatering technologies to maximise water recycling and to produce a dry tailings waste product.
First coal is expected to be mined sometime in 2024. If the first unit proves successful more are likely to be deployed in “quick succession” to increase production.
A successful contractor is already collecting jobseeker information through its website.
