Coal production in Valea Jiului, at a historic minimum
The quantity of coal taken from the mines in Valea Jiului dropped at about 650 tons per day, which means a quarter of what was produced at the beginning of the year, as all four exploitations in the Energy Unit Hunedoara (CEH) are facing problems, some of them dealing with opening new working places in the mine. ‘ The four mines in Valea Jiului produce daily a quantity of almost 650 tons in one mine’ stated the special manager of CEH Cristian Rosu. The CEH leadership estimates a coming back of the production which could take place in July.
Thus, the Livezeni mine has underway necessary activities for the opening of the two new stopes and the exploitation in Lupeni for another working place, which will ensure production for the next two years. A new working site will be opened in Mina Vulcan and Mina Lonea has a new working site for some days with a daily production of 200 tons.
As such, the mines in CEH can ensure only a part of the necessary coal for the Mintia thermal power unit, being supplemented with coal import from the US with high calory power which could be mixed with the one from the production in Valea Jiului.
CEH has almost 4,000 employees and is made up of the coal mines Livezeni, Lupeni, Lonea and Vulcan plus the thermal power stations Mintia and Paroseni. Out of the two power units at present the only one working is Mintia.