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The contracts will involve mining, coal beneficiation and handling, design and construction of mine infrastructure and a joint venture contract with Sedgman for the design and construction of coal clearance and processing infrastructure.
Thiess said it would commence design development of the infrastructure works, while Excel would immediately commence application for approvals.
Excel won a tender for the Wilpinjong thermal coal deposit from Macquarie Generation and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources in December to supply Macquarie's Bayswater and Liddell stations.
The first five years of the supply contract have been set at a fixed price, and about 20% of production is earmarked for export.
The mine has reserves of 170 million tonnes over a 43sq.km area, and production is planned at 5 million tonnes a year, with opportunity for future expansion.
First coal is scheduled for delivery in early 2007.
In NSW, Thiess already operates the Mt Owen colliery, the Southland longwall mine, which has been closed since an underground fire over Christmas, and the Liddell and Westside mines through its wholly owned subsidiary Hunter Valley Earthmoving. MiningNews.net
