Universal starts opencast mining at New Clydesdale

South Africa-focused coal miner Universal Coal has started opencast mining at its New Clydesdale Colliery (NCC), in Mpumalanga, marking the second phase of its planned 3.3-million-tonne-a-year NCC operation. Underground mining started in September last year, and is expected to achieve nameplate rates of 900 000 t/y of thermal coal by the end of the current quarter.