The first to arrive at the mine will be an Eickhoff SL 300, which is to be followed by an Eickhoff SL 1000 in early 2013.

Shaanxi’s Hongliulin mine has been operating an Eickhoff SL 1000 shearer for more than a year in coal seam heights more than 7m.

Both mines were established during the 11th five-year plan. They are designed to be among the nation’s most modern and high performance coal mines.