A long-delayed plan to revive the Dartbrook coal mine after an 18-year hiatus will require yet more money from patient backers such as John “Foxy” Robinson, Nicholas Paspaley and Swiss trading company Vitol.

Dartbrook’s owner, Australian Pacific Coal (AQC), has launched a $20 million equity raising to get the company through to first commercial sales, which are now set to begin almost a year behind schedule.