Name of the Project
Woodhouse Colliery.

Location
The project is located on a brownfield site, to the south-west of Whitehaven, in West Cumbria, England, in the UK.

Project Owner/s
West Cumbria Mine (WCM).

Project Description
West Cumbria plans to extract and process about 2.7-million tonnes of metallurgical coal a year, focused on supplying the UK and European steelmaking plants, which currently import about 60-million tonnes a year from the US, Canada, Russia and Australia.

The mine will use modern, well-proven mining methods to achieve steady-state production of 3.1-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine.

Run-out and pocket extraction will be the chosen mining method, as this is a proven, highly versatile coal mining method that takes advantage of advancements in mining technology to mitigate risks associated with the Cumbrian coalfields.

Potential Job Creation
The project will create more than 500 long-term local jobs for semiskilled and skilled workers.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
£160-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Work on the project is expected to start in the second half of 2021, with initial coal production starting about 18 months from the start of construction.

Latest Developments
On March 11, 2021, the Secretary of State issued formal notification that he was now “calling-in” the planning decision for the project, after climate change advisers said the project would "increase global emissions”.

The Secretary of State has twice formally considered calling in the application and has consistently declined to do so, most recently in February 2021, after receiving representations about the Climate Change Committee report published in December 2020. This was in the knowledge of the prior approval of the project by Cumbria County Council.

The WCM will now assess the requirements of the public inquiry process and timetable to ensure that its case is “presented such that it will be a compelling submission to the planning inspector to ensure a further approval for the project”.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Parnaby Cyclones (design, procure, build and commission the WCM coal processing plant and associated facilities); Herrenknecht (supply of a complete set of tunnelling equipment, including tunnelling machine, conveyor and support vehicles); Sandvik (supply of two roadheader tunnelling machines, one medium and one heavy duty machine for drift tunnel drivage and initial coal entry roadways); AmpControl (underground electrical panels, controls, cables and associated equipment to safely power the fleet of underground electrical mining, conveying and haulage equipment); Freightliner (rail services for the transportation of product coal, which will include the provision of locomotives, wagons, train crews and liaison with Network Rail, in partnership with WCM); Javelin Commodities (sales and marketing); and Redcar Bulk Terminal (coal handling, stockpile and load-out solution from train arrival on site to ship dispatch).

Contact Details for Project Information
WCM, tel +44 1444 410534 or email news@westcumbriamining.com.