Overburden system of the Open Pit Mine “Veliki Crljeni”, which was transferred to the OPM “Tamnava West Field” in the mid June when investment repairs were carried out on the coal systems, still operates in the combined operation mode. Three months after the integration of the two Tamnava OPMs, production results show that the complete procedure, strategically wieved, was absolutely justified.
Manager of the OPM “Veliki Crljeni”, Mr. Miloš Stanojević points out that the comprehensive task of the excavator “glodar 2” relocation from the OPM ”Tamnava East” to the “Tamnava West” was important for the implementation of the combined production.
The system of a total length of 1540 m is set to perform combined operation i.e. to produce both overburden and coal; with the difference that coal is transferred onto the belt conveyor of the OPM “Tamnava West Field”. This move has proved to be completely justified because in the last three months we managed to maintain the production of the BWE “glodar 2”, which was necessary taking into account the delayed works of the second phase of the Kolubara riverbed relocation caused by the problem of unsolved expropriation issues.
The integration of the systems of OPMs “Tamnava East” and “Tamnava West” resulted in increased level of production. All this affected the planned coal production from our OPM for this year so that four million tons of lignite is going to be produced at the OPM “Veliki Crljeni” this year out of the planned five millions. Simply put, we still save the coal from our OPM exclusively for the process of coal homogenization and improvement of quality of the coal being transported to the TPP “Nikola Tesla” in Obrenovac – explains Mr. Stanojević.
Technical services of the OPM “Veliki Crljeni” and the overburden system employees are working every day on the second phase of the Kolubara riverbed relocation, helped by mechanical and electrical support. Also during the year, two draglines took part in the operations of the systems “101” and “103”, and from the mid August, the fault occurred on the dragline 101, known as the “Big ten”, only one dragline has been the part of the production process, which has additionally slowed the operations.
“Dragline 10” that underwent the investment repair in the beginning of the year, had in the meantime an accident caused by weld cracking on the plate of the excavator structure. Discussions on further reparation process with the expert sevices representatives of “Kolubara Metal” are under way, and according to the preliminary defects lists, the repair of this machine is going to include welding works in the duration of several days.
The dragline EŠ 103 has been engaged to serve chain conveyor (“raker”) on coal retail, which is this year again organized in three shifts due to a jump in coal demand that has come in respond to the good quality of coal. The daily delivery from the loading point of the OPM “Veliki Crljeni” was between 800 and 900 tons of high quality lignite. Good quality of coal is recognized through the increased demand that exceeds the quantities of coal available. At the end of September, the loading point at the OPM “Veliki Crljeni” was closed, and the so called consulmer consumption line was switched to the OPM “Tamnava West Field”. However, what remains a major problem in the regular production of coal in the youngest OPM of MB “Kolubara” is unresolved issue of expropriation associated with this part of the coal basin since the very beginning of lignite exploitation.
The exploitation of about half a million tons of coal is currently blocked at a site near the Ibarska main road, within the “islands”. The problem is also associated with setting up the mining system for which the complete infrastructure that has not been expropriated has to be fully observed, thus requiring additional organizational efforts.
An estimated amount of 10,219,000 tons of coal remains to be excavated until the closure of OPM “Veliki Crljeni”, and according to Mr. Stojanović the quantities of coal opened for mining currently amount to 9,700,000 tons. These quantities will allow for the continuous, stable and regular supply with high quality lignite for TPP “Nikola Tesla”, hence ensuring stability of the national power industry.
Source; RBK
