Whitehaven Coal receives project approval for Vickery coal mine

2695
Aerial view of the Tarrawonga coal mine owned by Whitehaven Coal Image credit: flickr User: Leard State Forest

Whitehaven Coal has been given the go-ahead from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to proceed with the development of its Vickery Coal Project in the NSW Gunnedah Basin.

Whitehaven Coal receives project approval for Vickery coal mine
Aerial view of the Tarrawonga coal mine owned by Whitehaven Coal
Image credit: flickr User: Leard State Forest

Whitehaven acquired Vickery from Coal & Allied in February 2010. Its assets comprise of several mining and exploration tenements and approximately 3,450 hectares of associated land and water licenses.

According to the company announcement, the approval is for a project that can initially produce 4.5Mtpa ROM coal. The extracted coal will then be transported along an existing haul road to Whitehaven’s Gunnedah Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP).

The startup date for the project is yet to be determined, but it is unlikely to occur before the company’s flagship Maules Creek Project is fully ramped-up to its13Mtpa ROM rate.

Whitehaven’s Managing Director and CEO, Paul Flynn said that the Vickery Project approval is a significant step for Whitehaven as it provides another growth option for the company following the development of the Maules Creek.

Adertisement

“Whitehaven can now seek to form a joint venture for this long life development which will produce Maules Creek quality coal”, Mr Flynn said.

As part of the Project application process Whitehaven has committed to observing a range of conditions to ensure that environmental impacts arising from the Project are properly minimised.

The Project does not require approvals from the Federal Government.