The sale brings the total number of automated plow systems sold into China to nine. The first system commenced production in January 2001.

The new package takes a further step in the application of DBT’s systems by using the PMC–R roof support technology and the latest standard of AFC drive frames and sprockets.

Tiefa’s plow is the lowest version of the Gleithobel plow capable of operating to an extracted height as low as 800mm.

The package also includes significant upgrades to the operation’s second and third systems to increase face lengths to 240m each – the same as the fourth system sold.

A Tiefa spokesperson, at the contract signing ceremony held in Beijing, said the DBT automated plow longwall system has been proven as the most productive, safe and efficient method of mining China’s thin coal seams, also maximising the extraction ratio.

Currently 26% of Tiefa’s thin seam reserves are mined using the DBT automated plow system and the company plans to extend this approach to all of its thin seam reserves.

The spokesperson said the successful operation of the DBT plows had considerably extended the life of mines by allowing them to access and profitably mine reserves which otherwise would have been uneconomic.

The success of the automated plow systems operating in China has sparked interest and sales of the systems in a number of other countries where thin seams with high quality coal are prevalent and the operators wish to eliminate the need for mining costly and unwanted rock in the run of mine product, DBT said.

In China DBT automated plow longwall faces hold all the production records for coal seams of 2m and below.

As usual, part of the system will be manufactured in DBT’s Chinese facility, located in Langfang, which also serves as a customer service centre to support the DBT longwalls in China.