The Novokuznetsk site of Raspadskaya Coal Company includes five mines, two washing plants and specialised support enterprises. At present, coal is mined by the Alardinskaya, Essaulskaya, Osinnikovskaya, Uskovskaya and Yerunakovskaya-VIII mines. Geographically, the mines are located in three cities in Kuzbass: Novokuznetsk, Osinniky and Kaltan.
The mines supply coal to the majority of leading steel works and enterprises in Russia and the CIS. EVRAZ ZSMK is a major consumer.
Raspadskaya Coal Company’s mines are among the leaders in the Russian coal industry in terms of workflow mechanisation and automation: 100% of extraction comes from fully mechanized coal faces.
The mines’ products have won multiple top awards at international exhibitions, including “Coal of Russia and Mining” and “Expo Coal”.
The Novokuznetsk site of Raspadskaya Coal Company includes the Kuznetskaya and Abashevskaya central washing plants (CWPs). The washing plants process run-of-mine coal that is mined at all seven mines and open pits and at a new EVRAZ coal operation — Mezhegeyugol Coal Company in the Tuva Republic.
The Kuznetskaya CWP has a design capacity of 6.5 mtpa, while achieved capacity is 5.7 mtpa.
The Abashevskaya CWP has a design capacity of 3.5 mtpa.
In 1930, a mine named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze was opened in the vicinity of the Kuznetsky metallurgical plant in Kuzbass. There were eight mines in operation in the region at the outbreak of World War II; coal production increased, and new deposits were developed. For this reason, an upgrading and revamping programme was adopted for the mines.
On 29 September 1969, the Yuzhkuzbassugol operation was established by an order of the Ministry of the Coal Industry of the USSR “in order to implement measures aimed at simplifying and improving the coal industry management structure”. In 1974, it was transformed into the Yuzhnokuzbasskoye coal production enterprise, i.e. Yuzhkuzbassugol.
In 2007, EVRAZ acquired a 100% stake in the coal company, which marked the start of a new phase in its development. Yuzhkuzbassugol underwent fundamental modernisation and revamping, and a new safety culture was established in the company.
Today, at the Novokuznetsk site’s operations, EVRAZ is implementing investment projects that are aimed at the development of coal mines and safe working conditions, while also providing significant funding for state-of-the-art production and development equipment for the mines. The company has put in place all the necessary arrangements for work, training, career growth, rest and creativity of each employee.