<p>BHP Billiton has opened its new Dendrobium mine that will provide high quality coking coal for export and domestic customers.</p> <p>The US$170m ($242m) project is at Mount Kembla, New South Wales, and will provide 5.2m tonnes a year of raw coal.</p> <p>It is the first new mine investment in NSW for more than 20 years.</p> <p>The main customer for the coking coal will be Port Kembla steelworks, which is 7 km from the mine.</p> <p>Two of the three trunk conveyor belts from the low-cost underground longwall operation have been commissioned. </p> <p>The first trains were loaded with coal from at the Kemira Valley loading facility in September.</p> <p>State premier Bob Carr, who was on hand to formally open the mine yesterday (Tuesday, November 4), said the coal export industry needs to embrace greenhouse gas offsets if it wants to do business with Japan and Europe.</p> <p>Mr Carr said the mine will provide new jobs in the Illawarra, but the industry needs to plan for the day when markets demand action to compensate greenhouse gas emissions. </p> <br />
