Powercoal Pty Ltd operates eight underground coal mines in New South Wales and produces coal for both domestic power
stations and the export market. Approximately 40% of total production is from continuous miners. Over the past five
years, place change mining methods have been introduced to improve productivity from continuous miners. This has
involved utilising the existing coal clearance system from the continuous miner to the ratio feeder using trailing cable
shuttle cars.
By late 1996 average productivity at Cooranbong Colliery using this system had plateaued at 800 tonnes per eight hour
shift. A number of factors were identified to increase average productivity to 1500 tonnes per eight hour shift. An
improved coal clearance system was one of the factors identified.