BHP Billiton has announced it will continue with the planned construction of the Cavel Ridge mine project and expansion of Peak Downs in the northern Bowen Basin.

 

The Cavel Ridge project is expected to produce an initial 8 million tonnes per year in metallurgical coal exports, with the rapid expansion to 10 million tonnes.

 

A total investment of l $4.05 billion has been injected into the project, with BHP Billiton spending $2.02 billion on the project.

 

The new Caval Ridge Mine will have the capacity to produce 5.5 million tonnes per year. The Peak Downs Mine will expand production by 2.5 million tonnes per year. The investment will include construction of a new coal handling and preparation plant at Caval Ridge to process production from the Caval Ridge Mine and Peak Downs expansion. Coal from the Peak Downs expansion will be transported by conveyor to the new plant. 

 

The Caval Ridge Mine will be an open cut dragline and truck and shovel operation, with coal railed to the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Hay Point Coal Terminal. The project has received all necessary regulatory approvals.

 

The project is anticipated to generate 1200 construction jobs, with another 495 ongoing operation jobs for the next 30 years.