Briquettes trialled for export

Mecrus continues to seek out new prospects for brown coal briquettes with reduced production costs in overseas markets.

Since successfully transforming the Australian Briquette facility into an economically viable operation in 2004, Mecrus has sought to develop new opportunities through more effi cient processing and developing new product formats.

“We’re trialling a range of briquettes overseas in order to establish new markets,” said Mecrus Managing Director, Barry Richards. “Victorian brown coal has specifi c benefi ts over other coal because it is low ash, low sulphur and high energy.”

The processing costs at the Morwell plant were a barrier to competing with thermal black coal from NSW but improved processing effi ciencies have reduced production costs making the Victorian product more affordable.

“Australia can’t keep up with the demand although in Victoria we are hampered by a lack of infrastructure,” said Richards.

www.mecrus.com.au