MELBOURNE, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc GLEN.L said on Friday it has won approval from the New South Wales state government to extend the life of its Mount Owen coal complex in Australia by 12 years to 2031.
The complex, which includes the Mount Owen and Glendell mines, produced 8.07 million tonnes of saleable thermal coal for power stations and semi-soft coking coal for steel mills last year.
Glencore said it plans to dig coal reserves that are within the land the mine owns for the extension, but will not be expanding output. If the approval had not been granted the mine would have had to close in 2019, a spokesman said.
"Construction work associated with the approval is expected to start around March 2017," Glencore said.
Glencore declined to comment on the cost of the mine extension.