BT Mining to expand New Zealand thermal coal mine
Sydney (4 August)
BT Mining – a joint venture between Bathurst Resources and Talley’s Energy – will extend the life of its thermal coal-producing Maramarua mine, in Waikato, by four years from January-March 2027, Bathurst Resources told investors on 4 August.
The joint venture plans to produce 200,000 tonnes of coal each year for local, existing customers at a newly consented mine pit, Bathurst Resources said. It will sell the coal to existing customers under long-term contracts that are under negotiation.
BT Mining sells Maramarua coal to Genesis Energy, New Zealand Steel, Open Country Dairy, and Fonterra, Bathurst Resources’ General Manager for Domestic Operations, Craig Pilcher, told the Waikato District Council in 2020.
The joint venture produced 163,000 tonnes of coal at Maramarua in the July 2024 – June 2025 fiscal year, down 10% from 182,000 tonnes in 2023-24, because of planned overburden removal work, Bathurst Resources said in its 2024-25 results. But it has increased its Maramarua production since July 2025 because of a contract with Genesis Energy.
BT Mining produced 107,000 tonnes of coal at the mine in July-December 2025, up by 32% on the year, data from Bathurst Resource’s 2025-26 half-year report show. In September 2025, the joint venture agreed to supply 10,000 tonnes of coal to Genesis Energy’s Huntly Power Station – which is located approximately 50 kilometres from Maramarua – each month for two years.
BT Mining’s deal reduces Genesis Energy’s reliance on Indonesian coal imports, the utility said at the time. “It’s about keeping [New Zealanders’] lights on during periods when renewable generation is low,” Genesis Energy Chief Operating Officer Tracey Hickman said.
Genesis Energy uses dual gas-fired and coal-fired generators to smooth over dips in renewable generation. It plans to maintain its coal-fired generators until at least 2035, while also investing in battery storage and biomass projects.
New Zealand businesses burned 855,042 tonnes of coal for electricity generation in 2025, down from 1.2 million tonnes in 2024, largely because of increased solar and hydroelectric generation, data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment show.
By Avinash Govind