Red Hills Mine

Red Hills Mine is operated by the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company, a subsidiary of The North American Coal Corporation. The 5,900 acre mine is in Ackerman, Mississippi, and formally began production in the fourth quarter 2000. Red Hills Mine delivers approximately 3.5 million tons of coal per year, particularly to SUEZ Energy Resources and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The operation utilizes dragline and shovel for overburden removal and reclaims about 120 acres of land annually.

History
Mississippi Lignite Mining Company was formed in 1997 to supply lignite coal to the Red Hills Generation Facility, which supplies electricity to Tennessee Valley Authority under a 30-year contract agreement. The plant is owned and operated by Choctaw Generation, LLP, an affiliate of Tractebel Electricity and Gas International. Construction of Red Hills Mine and facilities began in August 1998. Development of the initial boxcut began in April 1999, and the first lignite was mined in December 1999.

Mine Data

 * Owner: Mississippi Lignite Mining Company
 * Parent company: North American Coal
 * Location: McIntyre Rd, Ackerman, Mississippi
 * GPS coordinates: 33.383042, -89.240742
 * Production: 3.5 million short tons
 * Type of coal: Lignite
 * Mine type: Surface
 * Equipment: dragline and electric shovel
 * Number of employees: 185

Proposed Red Hills Power Project
Synthesis Energy Systems Inc. and North American Coal Corporation announced in 2008 that they had entered a joint development agreement to evaluate a gas-to-liquids project near Red Hills Mine in Mississippi. If built, the facility could produce synthetic gasoline, chemical feedstocks or synthetic natural gas. The companies planned to conduct a “pre-feasibility study” to determine if “they will engage in a front-end engineering design study to further develop the opportunity.”

In 2010, the Sierra Club reported that the pre-feasibility study had not been released and that the Mississippi DEQ had not received an air permit application. Sierra concluded that the project was defunct.

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Contact Details
Mississippi Lignite Mining Company Route 3, Box 98 Ackerman, MS 39735 Phone: 662.387.5200 Fax: 662.387.5280 Web: http://www.nacoal.com/