Bowen’s first train loaded through its refurbished Mallawa TLO.
Bowen Coking Coal Ltd ended a year of major milestones on a high note, when it loaded its first coal train through its Mallawa train loadout facility (TLO) on December 28, following refurbishment works on the TLO and rail loop.
The Mallawa TLO receives coal from Bowen’s nearby Broadmeadow East mine, all part of the company’s greater Burton Complex near Moranbah in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, which also comprises the Burton and Lenton pits, the 5.5-million-metric-ton (mt) Burton coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) as well as a 350 plus person camp.
This first train through Bowen’s refurbished TLO is in addition to four trains of coal totaling over 41,000 mt which have been railed from Broadmeadow East since late October through Fitzroy Australia’s nearby Carborough Downs CHPP and TLO. Initial sales were completed on a train-by-train basis under a spot arrangement through the company’s 50:50 Marketing Joint Venture, managed by M Resources.
“Concurrent with producing first coal from two separate mines in different parts of the Bowen Basin this year, the company has worked tirelessly to refurbish the Burton Complex in good time,” Bowen Managing Director and CEO Gerhard Redelinghuys said. “As we have seen today, the completed refurbishment works of the TLO proved to be very successful. The CHPP refurbishment is progressing exceptionally well with teams working through the Christmas break to expedite the path to the first wash, expected in the next quarter.”
Coal production commenced at the Broadmeadow East mine in July to deliver steady state production of between 800,000 mt/y and 1.1 million mt/y ROM. Despite wet weather impacts, the company is on track to make its first export shipment of Broadmeadow East coal in January with a cape-size bulk carrier which docked at Mackay’s Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) on December 27.
