OREANDA-NEWS. Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, reports that works on bringing Elga Coal Complex's seasonal washing plant into an all-year mode have been completed. Starting in November this year, the plant has reached an annual capacity of 2.7 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal (2.3 million tonnes of end product).

This transfer of the washing plant into an all-year work mode demonstrates that with the growing output at the Elga pit, Mechel is committed to its plans regarding the Elga project's development and on track with the construction of the future mining and processing plant.

By the end of 2014, some 1.3 million tonnes of coal are due to be mined at the deposit. In 2015 this amount is due to more than double to reach 3-3.5 million tonnes of ROM coal. In the nearest future, most of the Elga coal products will be exported to Asia Pacific.

"I would like to stress that we invest maximum effort to ensure that the quality of Elga's products be up to our customers' high standards. Accordingly, the Group's experts at this plant are mastering and perfecting our washing technologies, which will then be used by all three washing plants of the future mining complex. We will start constructing the first such plant, with a capacity of 9 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal, in early 2015, with groundwork on the construction site already complete," Mechel Mining Management OOO's Chief Executive Officer Pavel Shtark commented.