OREANDA-NEWS. On August 17, 2007 Belon Group completed construction of the Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant, which proved to be one of the key investment projects of the Company. The total investment in the plant construction amounted to 3 billion rubles (exclusive of VAT), reported the press-centre of  Belon Group.

Due to a major investment program, the Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant was built in an extremely short time—less than two years. Its construction was performed on the basis of the main technological facilities of the former Belovo-Novosibirsk coal slurry pipeline.

The Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant will be the only factory in Russia where steam coals of grades “D” and “G” will be processed on a commercial scale. The plant will be a platform for production of several types of products: Extra coal concentrate (coal fraction—0–13 mm; ash content—6,8%), used by energy plants, and graded coal concentrate (coal fraction—13–50 mm; ash content—3,7%), highly demanded in non-ferrous metallurgy for production of ferro-alloys.

Development of steam coal preparation proceeds from the intention of Belon Group to become a multi-aspect producer working with various industries. The Company stakes on the advanced coal processing and production of high-quality products with valuable consumer properties.

The design capacity of the Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant is 6 million tons of raw materials; however, the plant will be able to process larger amounts of altogether coal. The end product output with 6 million tons of coal loaded will amount to 5,1 million tons. The plant is planned to reach the estimated production capacity as early as in 2008. By the end of 2007, the production volume will equal 900,000 tons of processed coal. To supply the plant with the Company’s own steam coal, Belon Group is currently increasing production of the “D” grade coal at the Listvyazhnaya mine. In 2007, the Listvyazhnaya mine will produce 2,700,000 tons of coal. In the long term, due to the mine’s modernization, the Company is planning to increase production volumes up to 6,5 million tons, and to ensure full load operation of the plant.

The Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant will become one of the best-equipped factories in Kuzbass. All the operations will be performed using modern reliable and safe equipment of the leading world producers: KHD Humboldt Wedag GmbН (Germany), Andrits (Austria), Warman (Great Britain). The coal preparation plant will be unmatched also for its automation level—the entire plant management system will be automated.

The long-term plans of the Company include organization of a technological power complex on the basis of the Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant and the Listvyazhnaya mine. This will incorporate modular coal processing facilities and a mini-power plant to use the waste products of coal preparation.

Commissioning of the new coal preparation plant is of great social importance to Kuzbass, as the Company will provide jobs for over 400 residents of the Belovo region. In addition, the new enterprise of Belon Group will become a source of additional tax revenues to the federal, regional and local budgets. The annual tax payments are estimated at 129 million rubles.

The construction project of the Listvyazhnaya coal preparation plant has been implemented in the framework of Belon Group’s development strategy, and is aimed at raising the competitiveness of the Company’s products.