34 MARCH 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® World Tunnelling Record at Unique Mine Project Adapted from Information by STRABAG SE In June 2019, a tunnelling team from STRABAG UK began excavating a 23-mile tunnel beneath the North York Moors National Park, in England, with a Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine (TBM). Recently, the team celebrated a momentous occasion - the tunnel drive for the Woodsmith mine near Whitby in the northeast of England has reached the 16-mile mark, setting a new world record for the longest single TBM drive. The nearly 2000-ton TBM, named Stella-Rose, has been boring underground for about four and a half years. However, it’s not just the tunnelling breaking records at the Woodsmith project, STRABAG UK is building the world's longest conveyor tunnel for a permanent mineral transport system (MTS) on behalf of Anglo American. When completed, the MTS will be used to transport ore from the world's largest polyhalite deposit from under the North York Moors National Park to Wilton, Teesside, for further processing. Polyhalite, a naturally occurring mineral used as a fertilizer in organic farming, is extracted from the Woodsmith mine via two mile-long shafts connected to the underground conveyor belt, a system which was chosen to minimize the environmental impact at the surface. Following completion of the project, Anglo American and STRABAG are expecting to have the record officially confirmed by Guinness World Records. Until that happens in 2026, the STRABAG site team will have to be patient. Roughly 450 people are directly employed on the Woodsmith project, with about 75% of them local to Teesside. Managing Director of STRABAG UK Simon Wild said, “We are extremely proud of the team at the Woodsmith project for reaching this incredible milestone and passing the current world record set for a single bored tunnel drive. This is another example of our growing presence in the northeast of England and the UK, demonstrating our industry-leading expertise.” Andrew Johnson, Woodsmith project director for Anglo American added, “We are delighted to achieve such an incredible milestone in the UK as part of our pioneering project. It is a demonstration of the fruits of teamwork with our partners. We are now focused on looking forward and setting a new world record every day. The Woodsmith tunnel is a fundamental part of our commitment to create a sustainable mine with minimal environmental impact.” All major infrastructure at the Woodsmith mine will be located belowground so once the mine is completed, no mining equipment will be visible. MIN
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