Business South August 2020

28 | Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth WESTLAND ENGINEERING SUPPLIES Engineering & Mining Equipment • Power & Handtools Bolts & Nuts • Welding Plant & Supplies • Abrasives Generators & Compressors • Protective Paints Trailer Equipment • Fishing & Marine Supplies 10 Boundary Street, PO Box 100, Greymouth Ph: (03) 768 5720 Cell: 027 471 7272 Em: danny@westeng.co.nz or deane@westeng.co.nz PROUD TO SUPPORT BIRCHFIELD COAL MINES 4 Kaiata Park Drive, Kaiata, Greymouth Phone: (03) 768 3405 Email: transwestfreighters@xtra.co.nz BULK HAULAGE & STOCK CARTAGE FREIGHTERS 2011 LTD Pandemic underlines value of coal The company’s coal is mainly used in the domestic market for process heat in industries throughout the South Island. • from page 27 MINING - WEST COAST » Birchfield Coal Mines The Strongman Mine near Greymouth, which was tagged for closure under Solid Energy ownership has proven to have additional reserves and has plenty of life left. The coal it produces is a semi-soft coking coal, and is a valued blending coal to improve lower ranking thermal coal for the South Island industrial market. There are also export opportunities for the Strongman coal. The company’s coal is mainly used in the domes- tic market for process heat in industries throughout the South Island, with some customers in the North Island, while some coal is exported via third parties. Phil says obtaining “coal that is consistent in quality”, is most important for their customers. This is achieved through mining practices and invest- ment in good people, plant and machinery. “The quality is crucial - what our customers look for is a good consistent coal so that their boilers can be tuned accordingly. “If we can get 5% efficiencies in boiler heat then that flows on to lower costs, reduced consumption and less emissions.” Phil says government policy direction is the main challenge facing an industry which is already “highly regulated”. As well as the issues raised by the Emissions Trading Scheme – and the economic impact of increasing carbon costs for primary producers and food producers – other areas of concern include the “unintended consequences” of the proposed Fresh Water reforms, while ongoing Resource Manage- ment Act reforms could potentially add to the, already stringent, compliance burden. “With the water reforms while they are mainly aimed at agricultural land use, they will have implications for the mining sector too, either making some activities uneconomic or making it increas- ingly difficult to gain resource consent for activities that are classified as non-complying.” Despite the challenges, Phil says he’s optimistic for the future of the coal and mining industries on the Coast. “The coal and wider mining industry have an important role to play in the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and supporting our export earners. “There is a significant amount of resource on the coast and still potential for the West Coast to con- tribute significantly to the New Zealand economy.” “The mining industry here is adaptable and has shown that over the years – we’re also looking to add value to our products though new projects.” To this end Birchfield Coal have been in discus- sions with the New Zealand Institute for Minerals to Materials Research (NZIMMR) looking at new product development. “That’s exciting and who knows where it could lead. Coal mining is a challenging industry to work in, but very rewarding. “There are a lot of clever people in the industry, you adapt where you need to and diversify where you can. That’s what the industry has always done and why it has survived.” • New era in research - page 30