Russian Megafactories: The world coal mine where monster trucks reign supreme

The Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbass) is one of the largest coal mining areas in the world. It is situated in the Kemerovo region which is located in Western Siberia. The basin contains 58 shaft mines and 36 open pits.

Kuzbass provides 56% of the soft coal mined in Russia and around 80% of all coking coal mined, while it provides 100% of high-value coking coal for the whole range of brands.

The Kuzbass’ oldest coal is estimated to be approximately 350 million years old.

The Taldinsky Coal Mine is currently one of the most promising and actively developing open coal pits in the Kemerovo region. It was put into commission in 1986.

There are over 900 million tons of coal reserves in the Taldinsky Coal Mine. At the current rate of mining (8.2 mil. tons/year), these reserves will last for 100 years (this does not take into consideration a third line that contains approximately 1 billion tons of reserves.)

Over 147 BelAZ and Komatsu dump trucks work in the mine’s expanses. Each truck has a carrying capacity ranging from 40 to 320 tons.

The largest dump truck is the BelAZ-75600, which can carry up to 320 tons and weighs 560 tons on its own! The BelAZ-75600 is the largest truck in the CIS.

The BelAZ-75600 can transport up to three railroad cars of rock, dirt, and silt in one trip.

It uses 1000 liters of diesel fuel for every 100 kilometers traveled (approximately 265 gallons for every 60 miles). Its fuel tank has a capacity of 4360 liters. Each wheel weighs 8 tons and costs around one million rubles ($28,600). A special loader crane is needed just to put the tires on.

Work continues around the clock. The only exception is the New Year holiday period.

Even in windless conditions, there is still always dust and smog from internal combustion engines that are running in the pit. In extremely low temperatures (below 40 degrees Celsius), the machinery stops until it warms up.

Kuznetsk coal is primarily used in Western Siberia, the Urals, and Russia’s European part. Recently, coal exports to primarily European consumers have risen by 41%.

Coal was one of the first fossil fuels to be used by man. Its use helped usher in the Industrial Revolution, which, in turn, fostered the development of the coal industry by providing it with more modern technology.

On average, burning one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of this fuel releases 2.93 kg (6.46 lb) of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In 1960, coal provided approximately half of the world’s energy production. By 1970, its share fell to one third. Coal use increases when prices for oil and other energy sources are especially high.

The cost of coal varies significantly since the quality of the coal and transportation costs heavily influence it. The average cost for one ton of coal in Russia costs about $180.