SIMEC Tahmoor Mine: Extraordinary teamwork leads to a 40-year high

This August, the team at SIMEC Mining’s Tahmoor Coking Coal Operation in Australia celebrated a key achievement; the mine recorded 40-year highs in its yearly, monthly, and daily output.

Speaking on the strong performance, Peter Vale, SIMEC Mining Head of Coal Mines, said “The team has put in an incredible effort hitting records well above expectation.”

The Tahmoor colliery, which is part of our integrated primary steel and mining operations in Australia, is a coking coal mine. Coking coal is a key ingredient in the process of making primary steel.

Tahmoor’s yearly output of nearly 3 million tonnes was more than 200,000 tonnes better than the previous benchmark, while the coal handling and preparation plant also washed a record 2.8 million tonnes in the full year. They cited a winning combination of continuous improvement initiatives supported by a focus on maintaining high operational standards, and significant capital investment by GFG Alliance including investment in new state-of-the-art equipment.

Tahmoor’s impressive results build on momentum from earlier this year, when it received conditional approval from the Independent Planning Commission for the Tahmoor South Project, which provides consent for a 10-year extension to the life of the mine. It is anticipated that the project will create more than 170 new jobs during the construction phase and boost the local economy over the life of the project.

The Tahmoor South Project gained Australian Government approval in October.