Highthorn Surface Mine Site Design Gemma Dickenson 9 February 2015 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Gemma Dickenson 9 February 2015

Highthorn Surface Mine

Site Design

Why Here?

British Geological Survey

Widdrington Cresswell Lynemouth Amble Ellington Widdrington Station Broomhill

The Northumberland Coalfield

• Significant mining

history

• High quality coal
• Both underground

deep mining & surface mining

• Seeking remaining

‘solid’ coal deposits

• Highthorn represents
• ne of best

remaining, high quality solid coal deposits in UK

Initial Design

• Areas first identified

for storage & extraction

• Prior to any site

investigation

• No design work

completed, based on historical geological information

• Up to 7m tonnes coal
• 13 years operational

Initial Feedback – Dec 13

• Land NE of

Widdrington Village unpopular

• Assessment of

topography, quantities & coal resource

• Survey work

commenced

• Resulted in removing

land north east of Widdrington Village from project

• Work commenced to

try to remove all land from north of C116

Detailed Design Begins

• Topography
• Properties
• Trees
• Hedges
• Wildlife

reserves

• Watercourses
• Roads
• Coastline
• Need to

maximise distances

• Create Buffer

zones

Detailed Design Begins

• Topography
• Properties
• Trees
• Hedges
• Wildlife

reserves

• Watercourses
• Roads
• Coastline
• Need to

maximise distances

• Create Buffer

zones

Scoping Report – Dec 14

• Major site investigation

works complete

• Unable to remove land

North of C116 at submission

• Location of coal known
• Entry location noted
• Compound area

suggested

• Buffer zones

throughout coastal area

• Potential storage

locations identified

• Potential mitigation

areas identified

Current Proposals: Phase 1

• Area north of C116 no

longer within proposals for any coal extraction activities

• Location of commercially

available coal known – up to 5 million tonnes

• More accurate suggestion
• f storage areas
• Maintenance of suggested

access point & compound area

• Introduction of further

buffer zones and potential ecological enhancement & mitigation areas

Current Proposals: Phase 2

Current Proposals: Phase 3

Current Proposals: Phase 4

Current Proposals: Phase 5

Site Design Progress

Initial Design Current Proposals Tonnes Up to 7m tonnes Up to 5m tonnes Length of the site 13 years 8-10 years Land Area Inc land north of C116 No land north of C116 Size of the site 853 ha 400 ha How can we improve on this?

Questions?