Queenstown's TSS Earnslaw needs new coal to burn as Southland mine closes
The owners of Queenstown’s TSS Earnslaw are looking for a new fuel source for the iconic steam ship, after the mine that supplied it announced it will be closing.
Known as The Lady of the Lake, the Earnslaw uses one tonne of coal from Southland’s Ohai coal mine every time it sails from Queenstown to Walter Peak Station and back.
But last week, New Vale Ohai Coal general manager Antony Stodart announced the mine would close at the end of September, and rehabilitation of the site was expected to begin next month.
A spokesperson from Real Journeys, which operates the TSS Earnslaw, said the mine closure was anticipated, and its local suppliers were working on an alternative supply that will be the equivalent New Zealand product.
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