In 2005, Sedgman undertook the design, construction and commissioning of a 2000 t/h coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) upgrade at Saraji, a mine which had operated since 1974.

The upgrade by Sedgman included:

• A new ROM system of two 500 t bins with feeders into a single primary sizer, discharging on to a 1,600 t/h conveyor, then into a sizing station equipped with roller screen and secondary/tertiary sizers
• Upgrading the CPP feed conveyor, new dilute medium circuit, higher capacity 1,000 mm dense medium cyclones and new spirals circuit
• Upgrading the tailings disposal through a two-stage pumping of thickener underflow and replacing the tailings disposal line
• A new 800 t rejects bin located on the ROM pad for discharge into rear dump trucks

Saraji produces 9.5% ash washed product for the export coking coal market. The preparation plant utilises dense medium cyclones to process the minus 50 plus 0.5 mm wedge-wire coarse coal and the minus 0.5 mm wedge-wire is treated by flotation.