The 2020 Australian Mining Prospect Awards have proceeded despite this year’s challenges, to honour the best and brightest in the industry.
The Moolarben Coal Operations has beaten the finalists of the SEW-Eurodrive Coal Mine of the Year and the Epiroc Hard Rock Mine of the Year categories to nab the National Group Australian Mine of the Year title.
The New South Wales-based thermal coal joint venture between Yancoal (95 per cent) and a consortium of Korean power companies (5 per cent) has delivered rising production since 2015.
It started with an $800 million open cut and underground expansion that led to the production of nearly 18 million tonnes of coal last year – a significant increase from the nearly seven million tonnes produced in 2015.
Moolarben has today become the highest producing, yet lowest cost thermal coal operation in Australia.
The JV embraces automated mining technologies, including an autonomous Caterpillar longwall, continuous miner auto cut cycle and continuous miner real time monitoring.
Below is a complete list of the 2020 Australian Mining Prospect Awards winners, which are announced for the first time on this platform.
Prospect Awards judge and CSIRO Mineral Resources’ principal research engineer Mark Dunn said that the quality of nominations was high, given the disrupted environment of COVID-19.
“The nominees should all be commended on their efforts to improve the safety, sustainability and productivity of the Australian mining industry,” he said.
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable, who was also a judge at this year’s Prospect Awards, agrees, stating that the nominations were of a high standard.
“I commend all of the award nominees for showing the courage to put their company or employee forward for these nominations,” she said.
The 2020 Prospect Awards winners are:
Safety Advocate of the Year (sponsored by Flexco)
Terese Withington – Weir Minerals Australia
Indigenous Engagement Award
NRW and IronMerge: Partners for FMG – IronMerge
Excellence in IIoT Application (sponsored by ifm efector)
Dash – Live work, Eliminated – BHP
Contract Miner of the Year (sponsored by Epiroc)
Macmahon
Contribution to Mining
Teagan Dowler – STS Consulting Australia
Hard Rock Mine of the Year (sponsored by Epiroc)
Koolyanobbing iron ore mine – Mineral Resources
Coal Mine of the Year (sponsored by SEW-Eurodrive)
Moolarben Coal Operations – Yancoal Moolarben Coal Operations
Excellence in Environmental Management (sponsored by Metso-Outotec)
Mangoola coal mine rehabilitation – Glencore’s Mangoola coal operations
Excellence in Mine Safety, OHS (sponsored by Schenck Process)
The Long Hole Plug project advantages – ME SAFE
Mine Manager of the Year (sponsored by CRC)
Steve Chandler – Yancoal Moolarben Coal Operations
Minerals Processing of the Year (sponsored by CDE Global)
Roy Hill – WHIMS plant – Roy Hill
Innovative Mining Solution (sponsored by Austmine)
Hovermap – Emesent
Lifetime Achievement (sponsored by Liebherr)
Norman Moore – Gold Industry Group
Australian Mine of the Year (National Group)
Moolarben Coal Operations – Yancoal Moolarben Coal Operations
Read more about the 2020 Prospect Awards finalists and winners here.