On 4 June, Bilozerska Mine started producing coal for a new 7th southern longwall that has coal reserves exceeding 1.5 million tonnes. Its preparation included not only the works that were done underground but also the purchase and installation of equipment, upgrade of a conveyor chain, and strengthening of a headframe. Almost 3.5 km of mine workings were processed to make the launch of the new longwall possible. The coalface reserves will suffice to ensure the stable work of the miners until the end of 2022 and supply quality coal to Ukrainian thermal power plants. DTEK has invested UAH 183.4 million in the commissioning of the new longwall.
The longwall is 289 meters long and has a seam depth of 2.25 meters. Its preparation resulted in success thanks to the well-coordinated efforts of each member of the mine’s team. Coal production team No. 2 led by Mykola Domoleha produces coal using KDK500 coal cutter supplied by the mechanical engineering team of Corum Miner’s Light.
"For the new mining section, we received and assembled a new push-bar conveyor, completely renovated powered supports, a pump station, compressor unit, starting equipment, as well as other machinery and devices. Today, our daily task is to bring to grass 2.9 thousand tonnes of quality coal without any accidents. The new longwall is the guarantee of stable operation of the mine and welfare of our community", noted Volodymyr Kasionkin, the Supervisor of Coal Production Section No. 2.
Moreover, to ensure the safety of the section, we assembled and commissioned isolated methane and air withdrawal unit using gas extraction ventilators VMTsG-7M. Earlier, the miners upgraded the conveyor chain and continue to renovate the technological complex of a skip shaft to ensure uninterrupted production of coal from the 7th southern longwall and future longwalls.
"The advantage of the 7th southern longwall is that the quality of the coal mined there allows its delivery directly to DTEK ENERGY’s thermal power plants that make a considerable contribution to Ukraine’s energy independence. Our team continues to upgrade our production facilities, and the launch of the longwall is the indication of their excellent performance", commented Vitalii Vilkhovyi, Director of DTEK Bilozerska Mine.
The heads of the Dobropillia and Bilozerka communities Vitalii Shevchenko and Serhii Makieiev underlined the importance of this event for the region because the new longwall guarantees the stability and welfare of local residents who work there.
The importance of the launch of the new longwall at the Bilozerska Mine was also highly appreciated by Artem Lytvynov, Director of the Department for the Development of Basic Industries of the Donetsk Region Military and Civil Administration: "This is the second longwall that has been commissioned in Donetsk Region since the beginning of the year. The Bilozerska Mine has been creating new jobs, miners have stable employment, which translates into the steady flow of taxes to the local budgets for the development of the region. The bravery of these guys deserves high praise from us. DTEK ENERGY has helped us to make yet another step towards Ukraine’s energy independence."
Another longwall is the 1st southern longwall, which is going to be commissioned at the Bilozerska Mine in November 2021. By operating two coalfaces, the miners will have produced almost a million tonnes of coal by the end of this year, and increase the annual production up to 1.7 million tonnes.