OREANDA-NEWS. The state commission has signed approval for the launch of two long faces at Dobropolskaya and Almaznaya mines with the coal reserves of over 1 million and 717,000 tonnes accordingly. The coal will be used to generate electricity for Kurakhovskaya and Burshtynskaya TPPs as well as for boilers of Dobropolye. DTEK has invested over UAH 44 million in the launch of long faces.

The length of the second long face at Almaznaya Mine is 300 meters with the extracted area of 1,100 meters. The average layer thickness is 1.2 meters and the long face average daily production is 1,700 tonnes.

The length of the eighth northern long face at Dobropolskaya Mine is 250 meters with the extracted area of 1,740 meters. The average layer thickness is 1.3 meters and the long face average daily production of is over 2,000 tonnes.

The miners will operate the new long faces for one and a half years. Both long faces are equipped with domestic fully overhauled mechanical complexes, shearers and new drag conveyors. In addition, the company purchased a new control station SN-23 HANSEN (made in Czech Republic) for the new long face at Almaznaya Mine which allowed the mine to switch the long face to 1,140V (used to be 660V). This increased reliability of electric equipment, ensured uninterruptable operation of the long face, reduced losses of electricity and cut the cost of cables as a result of the decrease in the cross section. The company plans to purchase a similar control station for Dobropolskaya Mine in 2015.

The team of the fourth production unit headed by Sergey Shevchenko and Stanislav Chukhliba carries out mining works in the second long face at Dobropolskaya Mine. The first production unit headed by Valim Gnidash and Eduard Gutnik carries out extraction works at the eighth northern long face at Almaznaya Mine.

"Today the cohesive team work of miners accounts not only for the welfare of their families and stable payment of salaries but also for uninterruptable operation of two large TPPs and the heating supply to Dobropolye town in this heating season," noted Director of DTEK Dobropolskoye Colliery Yuriy Kosyi. "We will take every effort to ensure efficient coal production in this hard time for the country."

Today DTEK Dobropolskoye Colliery operates four long faces with three of them launched this year: two - at the oldest mine in the town Almaznaya Mine and one - at Dobropolskaya Mine.