Transport Providers
Pike River has two transport providers - the Nelson-based TNL Group for trucking coal and Solid Energy NZ Limited for rail transport and coal handling and loading onto export vessels at Port Lyttelton.
Both are contracted for 18 years - the expected minimum life of the Brunner seam - and at a rate of up to 1.3 million tonnes of coal a year.
TNL trucks coal from the Pike River coal preparation plant to its Ikamatua rail loadout facility and Solid Energy rails coal from Ikamatua to the export port of Lyttelton.
 |
| Solid Energy Coal Train |
TNL truck-and-trailer units can carry 30 tonnes of coal each day between 6 am and midnight under conditions set by resource consents and all loads will be covered to ensure dust is contained.
One of the key features with the Solid Energy transport chain is that Pike River has a priority right of use for up to 1.3 million tonnes per year for 18 years, providing protection if there are any capacity limitations in future years.
Coal stockpiling capacity at Port Lyttelton is currently 250,000 tonnes, and planning is underway by the port company to expand this.