The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, Beckley, WV, was set to open in May for the 2008 season, following the construction of a $3.5 million company store, museum and gift shop.  The 14,000 square foot building was constructed in the style of an old company store from the 20^th century.  The site has some 50,000 visitors each year from numerous states and foreign countries.  Visitors will travel 1,500 feet in authentic mine cars to see the working areas of the coal mine.  For more information call 304/252-3730 or visit www.beckleymine.com

Sherritt International Corp., Toronto, Canada, plans to buy back the outstanding units of Royal Utilities Income Fund, owner of Canada’s largest thermal coal producer, in a $704 million deal that will allow it to invest more in its coal business.

Mid-Michigan Energy LLC, Midland County, MI, has received support from the Midland County Board of Commissioners to build a $1.9 billion coal-fired power plant, Mid-Michigan Energy Station that would generate 750 megawatts of electricity plus team at South Saginaw and Waldo roads. The commission is considering the site plan.  The project would create 100 full-time jobs and 141 spin-off jobs for the Tri-Cities, and bring in an extra 20– to 25 percent in tax revenue.

The Air Force has successfully tested its synthetic fuel program with the flight of a B-1B Lancer powered by a fuel mixture made using the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, the same technique used to produce coal-to-liquid transportation fuels.  This latest test flight follows a successful C-17 flight that touched down at New Jersey’s McGuire AFB last December.  The Air Force has already certified its fleet of B-52 aircraft to fly using FT fuels and is on target to certify its entire fleet of aircraft to use FT fuels by 2011.  Ultimately, the Air Force expects to utilize U.S.-produced FT fuels, the majority of which would be made using coal, to meet half of its domestic aviation fuel needs beginning in 2016.  Visit www.futurecoalfuels.org

Skelly and Loy, Harrisburg, PA, has won two 2008 American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania Honor Awards For Engineering Excellence. The awards recognize the outstanding contributions of Pennsylvania consulting engineering firms for enhancing the social and economic welfare of the Commonwealth and its citizens.  Winning the Honor Award in the Water and Wastewater Category was the Hidden Valley Camping Resort Sewage Treatment and Spray Irrigation System, a 140-acre campground in Mifflinburg, PA.  Skelly and Loy designed a sewage treatment and disposal system that handles the anticipated peak wastewater flows at the campground of up to 12,000 gallons per day.  Winning the Honor Award in the Water Resources Category was the North Branch Mehoopany Creek Stream Restoration in Forkston Township, Wyoming County, PA.  The project included the restoration of more than 3,900 linear feet of actively eroding and unstable stream channel.

Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), a unit of American Electric Power, has approval to construct a 600-megawatt coal-fueled power plant in Hempstead County in southwest Arkansas.  Estimated cost of the plant is approximately $1.34 billion with SWEPCO investing 73 percent of the total.  SWEPCO will own 440 megawatts of the plant’s capacity.  Construction will take approximately 48 months with an expected commercial operation date in late summer 2012.

The U.S. Air Force has presented a $1– to $4 billion plan to develop a coal-to-diesel plant at Malmstrom Air Force Base, near Great Falls, MT, within the next four years.  Montana has about 25 percent of the nation’s coal reserves. The Malmstrom plant is one of 15 proposed in the U.S.  By 2016 the Air Force expects to use synthetic fuel for up to half of its domestic fleet, which computes to some 400 million gallons of synthetic fuel each year.

Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc., Houston, TX, and YIMA Coal Industry Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese integrated coal company, have established a joint project office responsible for developing planned integrated coal gasification to transportation fuels and chemical intermediates plant in Henan Province, China.  Upon receipt of approvals, a joint venture company will be formed to build, own and operate the Plant which will utilize SES U-GAS technology to convert low-quality, high-ash coals into syngas and downstream products. 

A proposal to extract coal from an old mine using no-blasting techniques and later to reclaim for a golf course and housing has been approved for Carbon Hill, AL.  Some 200 to 250 acres will be mined, while the golf course and housing development could cover some 2,000 acres.  Fossil Group LLC of Jasper and Haley Brothers Coal, Inc. in Haleyville, will handle the project.

Coal-based electricity represents almost 40 percent of all new electric generation capacity currently under construction in the U.S., according to a report from the American Public Power Association (APPA).  The APPA Report on New Generating Capacity 2008 Update surveys the approximately 33,000 megawatts of new electricity capacity currently under construction in the U.S.  Of that new capacity, the report shows that coal-fueled plants account for 39.9 percent, placing coal-plants second to new natural gas fueled plants, which account for 49 percent of new capacity.  A copy of the report is available at APPA Report.

UtahAmerican Energy, Inc., Price, Utah, has closed its Tower Mine near Price.  The closure is the result of recently encountered, unusual stress conditions and other geological and mining conditions.  Due to the depth of operations of Tower Mine, and the previous nature of the seismic events at UtahAmerican’s Crandall Canyon Mine, Robert E. Murray, director, ordered the temporary closure of the mine, which was later conformed by MSHA.  The Tower Mine is the deepest operating coal mine in the United States, which makes for increased challenges in ground control.  Most of the Tower Mine employees will be transferred to UtahAmerican’s West Ridge Mine, which is being expanded.

The U.S. is set to become a major exporter of coal for the first time ever since 1990s, due to a steady demand from utilities and surging global demand.  The U.S. will export 7 percent to 8 percent of its coal production in 2008, from about 5 percent last year, analysts say. The value of coal exports should double to $3.75 billion.  U.S. exports of coal grew from 49 million tons in 2006 to about 55 million tons in 2007, according to estimates. Exports are likely to reach 80 million tons this year and, with railroad and port improvements, could rise to as much as 120 million tons in the next few years.  England has become a major importer and India is building huge coal plants that will require growing imports, while Russia is using more and more coal to make natural gas available for export.

McCourt & Sons Equipment, Inc. is the new, exclusive equipment dealer for Superior Industries in Louisiana and Mississippi.  McCourt will market, service, and sell Superior’s line of conveyor equipment including the TeleStacker Conveyor, RazerTail Truck unloader, PowerStacker Conveyor, and more.  Headquartered in Morris, MN, Superior designs and fabricates a full line of conveying equipment, telescoping conveyors, feed systems, conveyor idlers and pulleys, as well as other conveyor components.

US Synthetic Corporation, NY, NY, an operating company within the energy platform of Dover Corporation’s Fluid Management segment, has acquired Brady’s Mining & Construction Supply Co., St. Louis, MO.  Brady manufactures diamond roof drill bits and support products specifically designed for underground mining operations.

Dominion Virginia Power’s proposal for a $1.8 billion coal-burning power plant in Wise County has received state regulatory approval for a 585-megawatt project, which includes an emissions permit pending before the state air-pollution control board.  Virginia Power said that the plant would be one of the cleanest of its kind, and will meet or exceed environmental requirements.  It will be able to burn waste coal, a potential source of pollution to the Clinch River and its tributaries.

Patriot Coal’s West Virginia Federal No. 2 longwall operation is back into production, following delays from two roof falls last month.  “Our dedicated employees at Federal have done a terrific job getting the longwall back up and running in a safe and efficient manner,” said Patriot President Richard Whiting.

American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Forests program will plant 64,000 trees in five eastern states this year, part of its plan to plant nearly 4 million trees in the U.S. and abroad.  The projects will reduce highway noise and air pollution, improve outdoor recreation opportunities, and provide habitat for species including black bear, snowshoe hare, and bog copper butterfly.  This year’s tree-planting grants to Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia are made possible by thousands of donations from individuals and businesses.  Those wishing to donate a project can plant one tree for each $1 they give at www.americanforests.org  or by calling 800/545-8733.

Rend Lake College in Illinois has received a $1.6 million energy grant to establish a specialized coal mine training center at the school grounds.  The school expects to boost its coal mining technology program by 420 students.