Slavkaliy has announced that it has extracted the first layer of potash rock salt during construction of its Nezhinsky mine in Belarus.
Shafting is being carried out mechanically using shaft boring roadheader (SBR) machines manufactured in Germany. The technology does not require the use of explosives and is environmentally friendly.
In July 2019, when the SBR machines Ulyana (cage shaft) and Olga (skip shaft) machines passed a section with aquifers to reach 327 m below the surface, a tubing column was installed. In January 2020, work to ensure the stable fastening of mine shafts was successfully completed and the SBR mechanised complexes resumed work.
Tunnelling is currently taking place at up to 5.3 m/d. Slavkaliy expects a capacity of up to 2 million tpy of potash upon completion of construction.