A Hunter company has been appointed the exclusive sales agent in Australia and New Zealand for one of China’s largest mining equipment manufacturers.
Rutherford-based private coal mining company and equipment supplier LDO Group has signed a cooperation deed with state-owned Donghua Heavy Industries in China. Donghua is the mining equipment manufacturing and supply arm of the Yancoal Group and supplies equipment into all of the Yancoal operations in China. The appointment is Donghua’s first outside of China.
LDO Group managing director Peter Ross said for the past six years his company has been successfully importing equipment from China, ensuring it meets strict Australian quality and safety standards. This includes the first set of Chinese-manufactured longwall equipment into Australia which has successfully been in operation for several years.
“We have already successfully broken the paradigm by proving there are alternate sources of equipment that meet or exceed the stringent standards set for the Australia mining industry and we are excited to partner with such a strong and capable partner in Donghua,” Peter said.
He said Donghua can produce all the equipment needed in coal mines from brackets and conveyors through to full longwall packages at a standard that will meet and exceed any Australian or New Zealand mine’s requirements.
Peter has visited Donghua’s factories located in the Zoucheng, Shandong area several times and he recently visited the Yancoal Dongtan Mine, an underground mine in China producing 8MTPA at 700 metres of depth under a body of water with two longwalls operating at 5.5 metres high. That mine’s underground equipment is all designed and manufactured by Donghua.
“The standards within this mine were without doubt some of the highest I have seen, especially given the very tough mining conditions,” he said.
Donghua was originally founded in 1972, and restructured in 2014 to become Yancoal Donghua Heavy Industry Ltd. Co. Donghua engages in and supplies comprehensive equipment and service to the coal mining industry, including design, research and development, manufacturing, installation, overhaul and maintenance, and technical consultation.
Image | LDO Group managing director Peter Ross with a Donghua representative at the signing
