The wash plant continues to operate to its design criteria and is performing efficiently, White Energy CEO Brian Flannery told the company’s annual general meeting.

“Following this commissioning, MCC mining operations have focused on mining the lower ash, specialty Blue Gem coal seams being sourced from the Flat Creek coal mine and the Jellico coal seam at the Hatfield Gap mine, in order to focus on the production of high quality low-ash stoker coals for the silica smelting market,” he said.

“Also, MCC has continued to devote resources to completing an exploration program to identify potential new resources across leased areas as well as sourcing new leases.”

In June 2015, MCC signed a sales contract with a major US silicon metal producer, to supply up to 13,000t per month of low-ash stoker coal product for use in their silicon and ferro-silicon plants.

Sales of stoker coal under this contract started in mid-June 2015 and have continued, Flannery said.

“Additionally MCC has made a number of other trial shipments to US ferro-silicon industry customers, while MCC management continues to analyse opportunities to export the stoker coal product in the near to medium-term,” he said.

“Some of MCC’s production and the fine coal is currently being sold into the thermal coal market.”