Kai Point
Coal has been a part of the Balclutha - Kaitangata scene for over 50
years.
 Incorporated in 1951
the company was started by the late George Cross. George received his
grounding in the coal business by running the Linton Coal Co, the
forerunner of the present day Ohai mine. He started the contracting
business and several other ventures; and after much prospecting the Kai
Point Coal Company at Kaitangata.
In October 1958 the new
mine site was opened, which we still occupy today. The mining operation
itself is an opencast one, in which the material overlying the coal seam
is removed and dumped back into the area where the coal had been removed
previously.
We utilize a 76 tonne
digger and three 40 tonne dump trucks to uncover the coal. The coal is
then extracted, crushed, screened and sold over our weighbridge in Berry
St, Kaitangata.
Approximately 55,000
tonne per annum is produced, about 80% of which is industrial coal.
The balance is for the domestic market.
Our household
coal is sought after, as it is large in size, 50mm to 200mm and very
economical.
 Many
customers come from Dunedin with cars and trailers, utilities and small
trucks to get their own bulk coal, a form of direct marketing. Other
customers prefer the smaller nut for use in coal ranges and
Juno’s.
Coal is sent on a
regular basis to Invercargill and as far north as Christchurch. Although
80% of the total market would be in the Balclutha - Dunedin area. Kai
Point Coal has a subsidiary company in Dunedin, which handles the
distribution to industrial clients in the city. Many Dunedin
customers require a
blend of different coal types and
this is handled by this subsidiary company.
Kai Point Coal supplies
industries such as meat, dairy and timber. We also supply rural New Zealand
and cities domestically. Kai Point Coal owes a large measure of its
success to its 12 loyal and dedicated staff members.
N.Z produced 5 million
tonnes in 2003 of which 2.1 million tonnes was exported. Compare
this with China producing over 1.95 billion tonnes in 2004, Australia
exporting 200 million tonnes in 2002, Japan importing 160 million tonnes
and it can be seen that N.Z is a very small part of the world equation.
At present rate of production worldwide (4.8 btpa 2003) coal reserves
are estimated to last more than 200 years, which makes coal far and away the world’s
greatest fossil fuel reserve.
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