Blue Creek Mine
Blue Creek Mine is a planned underground longwall coal mine in the Warrior Coal Basin in northern Tuscaloosa County. The mine, under development by Warrior Met Coal with an entrance off Brandon School Road, will exploit the "Blue Creek reserve" seam of "High Vol A" metallurgical coal, used in steel production.
Warrior Met Coal is planning to invest $550 to $600 million over five years in opening and operating the mine, including the creation of around 300-350 jobs paying an average of $85,000 per year. The anticipated production from the mine is 4.8 million short tons per year, which at $150/ton could generate as much as $1 billion in annual gross revenues over a projected 50-year span. The Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority provided tax abatements for the project, and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs coordinated administration of a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for infrastructure.
Opening of the mine was delayed during the COVID pandemic, but proceeded during the 2021 Warrior Met Coal strike. The company announced plans to, "partner with community colleges, vocational schools and state agencies over this timeframe to develop the next generation of coal miners." The first production from the mine is expected to begin in 2024 with the longwall itself operating in 2026.
In early 2024 Warrior Met Coal reported having spent $366 million on the mine project already, with plans to invest another $325–$375 million by year's end. The number of jobs expected grew to 450, partly due to the company's decision to build out its own transport system rather than rely on other providers.
References
- Thornton, William (February 20, 2020) "$500 million coal mine announced for Tuscaloosa County." The Birmingham News
- O'Leary, A. J. (May 3, 2022) "Warrior Met Coal relaunches Blue Creek project." Birmingham Business Journal
- O'Leary, A. J. (March 18, 2024) "Warrior Met Coal raises mine investment by more than $100M." Birmingham Business Journal