The Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja, was on Monday, August 5, at the Pinoasa quarry within the Oltenia Energy Complex. I wanted to see the situation on the ground with my own eyes and listen to people’s explanations, Minister Burduja revealed.
Pinoasa Quarry within the Oltenia Energy Complex PHOTO: Sebastian Burduja/FB
The visit took place following the incident last week.
“Today we ended at the Pinoasa quarry within the Oltenia Energy Complex. I wanted to see with my own eyes the situation on the ground and listen to the explanations of the people on the ground. In the next period, the specialists will pronounce on Friday’s incident, the causes, the material damages and the measures that are required. The control body is carrying out rigorous checks, and the company’s management presented me with a plan of measures since Saturday, which includes securing the affected area, checking all work fronts at the level of each subunit, starting an additional excavator to increase coal production and removing blocked machines, where it is possible to intervene”Burduja sent on Facebook.
According to the minister, the development of the Pinoasa quarry is being done towards the 120 ha area that was deforested last year, in the area there are three other excavators, plus excavator 10, which will be started.
The extraction/development area of the Pinoasa quarry is completely different from the one where the slide occurred, explained Sebastian Burduja who revealed that in August, the commitment of the CEO management is to reach a production of 130,000-140,000 tons, and in September to return to the level of 170,000 tons/month.
During the visit, the Energy Minister checked the coal stocks.
“We also checked coal stocks, including in preparation for the cold season. These are in the parameters. Stock Energy branches (SE): total 258,800 tons, of which SE Ișalnita 33,400 tons, SE Turceni 151,500 tons, SE Rovinari 74,000 tons. Mining branch stock: total 272,000 tons, plus 16,000 tons in wagons to power plants. Total CEO stock: 546,800 tons of coal. I sent everyone the following message: people’s safety comes first, and those who make mistakes must be held accountable“, added Sebastian Burduja.
A landslide occurred on Friday evening, in the Pinoasa sector of the Rovinari Quarry within the Oltenia Energy Complex. The propagation started from the unexcavated western front and increased during the night, bringing large blocks of rock that affected the work steps and reached the platform for parking and transporting the machinery on the hearth of the quarry.
The incident led to the damage and overturning of two large machines and to the damage of the marching mechanism of two other machines. Since the occurrence of the sliding phenomenon, the CEO teams carried out maneuvers to withdraw the machinery from the direction of the sliding and ensured the withdrawal of personnel, guaranteeing the continuous surveillance of the affected area.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the main cause of this incident is represented by the crevasses formed due to the prolonged drought, which weakened the soil structure and favored the landslide.
According to the information provided by the CEO, the damaged machinery had been parked for approximately two weeks. Excavator 09 was shut down anyway, and excavator 011 was due to be shut down at the end of August.
