Yancoal`s Moolarben coal mine has been granted a mining lease for its Stage Two project.
This project is focused on the development of two underground mining areas and an additional new open cut pit, located to the east of the site`s already approve ope cut operations.
The NSW Department of Industry Resources and Energy granted the lease, which covers 3741 hectares, and now gives the greenlight for the Mining Operations Plan approvals process.
Once fully approved, it will create the integrated Moolarben Coal Complex, which will produce 17 million tonnes of ROM coal per annum for 24 years, and will create 120 new full time mining jobs.
The operation currently employs more than 300 full time staff, and produced around 6.4 million tonnes of thermal and coking coal in 2014.
