Australia's BMA Granted Approval to Extend Saraji Coal Mine Operations to 2055

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australia's national environmental protection authority has approved the Grevillea Pit Extension Project at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) Saraji open-cut coal mine, allowing operations to continue until 2055. The project is located in the Bowen Basin, Queensland, approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Dysart, and will continue open-cut mining operations based on the existing Saraji coal mine.

The project plans to extract approximately 55 million tonnes of metallurgical coal, with a development period of about 30 years and an additional disturbance area of approximately 220 hectares. Mining methods will continue to employ draglines, trucks, and loading equipment, with vegetation clearing, topsoil stripping, overburden removal, and raw coal extraction to be carried out.

The Grevillea Pit Extension Project will continue to utilize Saraji coal mine's existing infrastructure, including the coal handling and preparation plant, rail loading facilities, tailings storage facilities, coal stockyards, water management systems, and ancillary facilities, without the need to construct a complete new coal handling and off-site transport system.

The Saraji coal mine is operated by BMA and primarily produces metallurgical coal for steel manufacturing. Following this approval, the Grevillea Pit can continue supplying raw coal to the existing coal preparation and rail transport systems, with the additional 55 million tonnes of resources to be incorporated into Saraji mine's future production plans.

The approval also includes environmental conditions targeting threatened species habitats, covering the protection of species such as koalas, the ornamental snake, and the squatter pigeon. After mining operations conclude, certain areas will be retained as final pit voids.