• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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Banks Mining makes Further Investment in Komatsu Plant at Shotton Surface Mine

North East employer Banks Mining has extended its relationship with Komatsu through a new six-figure plant investment at its Shotton surface mine in Northumberland.
 
Family-owned Banks Mining has taken delivery of its first Komatsu PC3000-6 mining shovel, which is being used as part of the earth-moving fleet deployed to remove overburden to expose the coal at the Shotton site and will also be used for the site’s restoration.
 
The 265-tonne face shovel reflects Banks Mining’s commitment to investing in the equipment and resources that its skilled teams require to operate their sites safely, responsibly and efficiently.
 
It’s the latest investment by Banks Mining in Komatsu machinery, and follows a significant investment made earlier this year in three, 27.5 tonne Komatsu WA470-8 loading shovels, which were sourced through Marubeni-Komatsu’s Chester-le-Street branch.
 
The new shovel joins a fleet of equipment tasked with removing the remaining overburden at Shotton before commencing the ongoing restoration of the site over the next four years, and sits alongside the Komatsu rigid haul trucks that already operate at Shotton.
 
A further £3.5m investment was made in new mobile plant for the Shotton site last year through the Boldon branch of Finning (UK), Caterpillar’s Peterlee site, and the Scot JCB dealership in Newcastle.
 
Banks Mining has been working in south east Northumberland for well over three decades, and contributes around £35m to the regional economy every year from the Shotton and Brenkley Lane sites through wages, investments and the local supply chain.
 
It was the first mining company anywhere in Europe to successfully complete the comprehensive assessment for the global Bettercoal initiative, and its operations at Shotton were awarded PRIME (Professional Recognition In Mineral Extraction) certification by The Institute of Quarrying earlier this year in recognition of the comprehensive provisions it makes for staff training, leadership and engagement.
 
Robbie Bentham, plant director at Banks Mining, says: “Enhancing our plant fleet with the required equipment is essential for helping our teams working our surface mining sites in the safest, most responsible and most efficient, low emission, way possible, and this is the latest investment that we’ve made in recognition of the skills and expertise that they bring to the job.
 
“We have a good relationship with the Komatsu team, and the reliability and quality of the product made it the right choice for this task.”
 
Jacquie Walton, Komatsu’s general manager at KMG Warrington, adds: “We are proud to be associated with Banks Mining at their Shotton site, and worked closely with the Banks personnel to ensure that we met their needs with the machine and on-site support package.”