GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming coal company is planning to export coal from its mine in Montana to power two new coal-fired plants in Japan.

Cloud Peak Energy on Tuesday announced the agreement with Singapore-based JERA Trading to supply the coal over 30 to 40 months beginning at the end of 2019.

The coal is expected to be transported by rail from the company's Spring Creek mine near Decker, Montana, to port in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The coal would then be shipped to the plants in the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan.

Company officials say the two 540-megawatt plants are being built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industrials and convert the coal into a synthetic natural gas. The first plant is expected to begin operations in 2020.

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