Appin Coal Mine was established in 1962 and is the oldest of Illawarra Coal's operating mines.
It is immediately south of the township of Appin, 37 km from Wollongong, and is a finalist in the 4th Annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards.
Appin's coal is mined from the Bulli Seam at depths of up to 550 m.
Coal extracted from this seam is premium quality hard coking coal, and is used for coke making by the Australian steel industry.
The coal is exported to customers around the world.
The mine is serviced by two vertical ventilation shafts and two inclined tunnels or drifts.
Illawarra Coal’s $6 million water filtration plant at its Appin West mine (formerly Douglas) is saving the company, and the State, a significant amount of water.
The plant has already returned more than 75 Ml of treated mine water underground, replacing fresh water which would have otherwise been purchased from Sydney Water.
Illawarra Coal joined with 338 other customers as part of Sydney Water’s Every Drop Counts (EDC) Business Program, which promotes water savings initiatives within the business.
The company has developed water savings action plans for the Appin-West Mine and its other operational sites.
Other water saving initiatives include: installation of shower and toilet water savings devices as part of the Sydney Water DIY Business Trial Program, and the construction of the significantly upgraded Surface Water Management System that enables the collection of clean storm water for re-use around the site.