The team at Centurion mine has been completing development work ahead of schedule, month after month, as it drives towards full-scale longwall production in 2026, according to Peabody president of global operations Marc Hathhorn.

The second half of 2024 has seen the Bowen Basin operation process first development coal through the preparation plant and first exports are planned by the end of the year.

“We also expect to commission our third continuous miner in coming weeks to further accelerate our development activities,” Mr Hathhorn said.

Related: Centurion emerging as $2.4bn jewel in Peabody crown

In August and September, he said the team broke the mine record for the most metres from two continuous miners at any given point in history at the site back to 2015.

“We also more than doubled the number of metres we were scheduled to mine in those respective months. Very encouraging,” he said.

“To put that in perspective, in August we were forecast for scheduling to produce 427m of drivage and the team exceeded over 1100m. In September with a power outage – a planned power outage with the power provider – the team still managed to get 967m.

“So we’ve got two months where we’ve averaged right at 1040m and substantially beat our forecast.”

The company in late 2022 committed to the redevelopment project to bring its North Goonyella coal mine back online after the Bowen Basin operation was taken out of action by an underground fire in 2018.

In December 2023, it announced it was renaming the rebooted North Goonyella site as the Centurion mine to reflect the addition of neighbouring Wards Well coal resources after a deal with Stanmore Resources.

Mr Hathhorn said the development of the Centurion longwall mine remained on track and on budget to date.

“The only potential delay would potentially be equipment delivery or unexpected maintenance. We’ve mitigated delays and late equipment delivery through the hire of an extra continuous miner, plus what I talked about before – the achievement of the development rates being way ahead of schedule.”

While the Centurion South area was being developed, two development units would also begin development of the main headings to access Centurion North longwall panels in 2025, he said.

The major items of mining equipment being utilised at the site include a Cat longwall system with 135 shields, three Komatsu continuous miners and support equipment.