A MINER has completed its first ever export order for coal extracted from its Northumbrian mine.

Banks Mining, which has its headquarters in County Durham, has exported four thousand tons of coal from its Shotton surface mine near Cramlington.

The coal will be transported to Spain on a vessel leaving the Port of Blyth.

Banks is planning to pursue other opportunities to supply overseas customers both within and outside mainland Europe.

Michael Storey, sales and quality manager at Banks Mining, says: “The coal we produce in Northumberland is of a very high and consistent quality, capable of meeting the demands of overseas markets.

“Having investigated which export markets we might target with it, we believe there are considerable overseas opportunities for us to work towards alongside our domestic operations.”

“The coal we produce at our Northumberland sites sustains substantial numbers of North East jobs, supports British industry and electricity generation, creates considerable capital for investment in community improvement projects and heats homes across the UK.

“It also helps to provide a responsible and reliable source of indigenous coal that reduces domestic reliance on imports from potentially unstable overseas markets.

Banks Mining is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year and employs around 200 people across its Shotton and nearby Brenkley Lane mining sites.

The two sites contribute around £35m to the regional economy every year with the coal produced being used by a range of customers for a variety of industrial, domestic and power generation purposes.

“Fulfilling an export order presents different logistical challenges to our usual operations, but our highly-skilled and professional team completed the task in their usual safe, responsible and efficient manner” said Mr Storey.

“The excellent service standards that we have provided consistently for many years to a variety of UK customers provides an overall offering that we believe will have great appeal to our target audience” he added.

Martin Lawlor, chief executive at the Port of Blyth, said: “We’re delighted to support Banks Group with this landmark export project.

“The variety of cargoes travelling both in and out of the Port of Blyth is growing all the time and we look forward to handling further exports for the Banks Group in the future” he added.

Banks Mining has operated and restored more than 110 surface mines over more than three decades.

Earlier this month, they had plans to operate a surface mine at Highthorn in Northumberland reviewed by the government.

The project was set to create at least new 50 jobs and support 50 existing posts from a sister Northumberland site.

The plans were criticised by campaigners, including Friends of the Earth and the Save Druridge Bay group, who claimed the proposals would destroy the area.