Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) is on move to excavate coking coal trapped in the mines by using Chinese technology. The excavation work will start from PB (Putki-Balihari) Area by using ‘Aqua Pack’ technology, informed AK Singh CMD BCCL.
“First time in India, this technology (‘Aqua Pack’) is going to be used by BCCL to excavate trapped coal inside the mines,” added Singh.
The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) has prepared the details of the project which is waiting for the Board of Director’s nod, he said.
According to an estimate about 3000 MT coal trapped in different mines belongs to BCCL in form of coal pillars. For the safety point of view pillars were left inside the mines during production or digging the coal, said Singh.
“It (pillars) also protect from cave-in (roof) of the mines, so it’s very essential to left pillars in the mines,” he added.
According to the mines experts, during mining (of the coal) about 60 per cent of the coal becomes trapped inside in the form of pillars. “If we will try to excavate them land subsidence will start at that place,” he said.
Most of the mines belong of BCCL has the reserve of steel grade coal or coking coal which has the huge demand in the steel industries.
“Now, we have decided to excavate the trapped coal with the help of ‘Aqua Pack’ technology, using this technology China is excavating such coal very easily from their mines,” he said.
Explaining the process Singh said using this technology water pillars would be erected which will later be replaced with coal pillars in the mines; for this, we will utilize mine’s water to erect the pillar.
“Water will be loaded in a pillar-like structure first and later we will mix the Chinese chemical in that water which immediately changed the water into a solid pillar (inside the structure kept) which will equally provide support to the mine’s roof. Later coal pillar would be replaced with this water pillar,” he added.