Consol Energy’s newest mine, the Itmann coal complex in Wyoming County, West Virginia, has commissioned its preparation plant and has loaded and shipped its first train.
The plant started operating in late September. The first loaded train left Oct. 12.
When fully operational, Itmann No. 5 is expected to produce about 900,000 tons annually of premium low-vol metallurgical coking coal for domestic and international steel customers. The preparation plant has the processing capacity of approximately double the output of the Itmann mine, which provides additional upside for third-party processing and blending.
Itmann should reach its prime run rate sometime during this quarter; Consol said it was delayed due to equipment delays and supply chain bottlenecks. The third and final continuous miner section is now expected to ramp up in 4Q22, and full-capacity operations are expected throughout all of next year.
“We have invested approximately $100 million in the development of the mine, preparation plant, and surrounding infrastructure. We also have given a boost to the economy of southern West Virginia, creating approximately 175 long-term and high-paying jobs, supporting many businesses in the surrounding area and providing numerous charitable contributions to the local communities through our CONSOL Cares Foundation,” said President and CEO Jimmy Brock.
“Our hard-working Itmann team…enabled us to bring this project to fruition with an aggressive schedule in a challenging supply chain and labor environment, and [they are] who we expect will be the backbone of our success at Itmann going forward.”
Itmann has a life-of-mine production of more than 20 million tons. Development first began at the operation in April 2020.
Source: consolenergy.com