What is Victorian Lignite?

Victoria’s lignite is typically low in ash, sulphur, heavy metals and nitrogen, making it very low in impurities by world standards.

However, its high moisture content, between 48 and 70 per cent, reduces its effective energy content (average 8.6 MJ/kg on a net wet basis or 26.6 MJ/kg on a gross dry basis).

Lignite seams in the Latrobe Valley are up to 100 metres thick, with multiple seams often giving virtually continuous lignite thickness of up to 230 metres. Seams are typically located under only 10-20 metres of overburden.

Favourable coal to overburden ratios in the Latrobe Valley, of between 0.5:1 and 5:1, indicate a high tonnage of coal for every cubic metre of non-coal material mined. This, combined with the easy digging characteristics of the coal, make it some of the lowest cost coal in the world.