The assets that formed SUEK were distressed – production capacity was less than 30 million tons per year, the enterprises employed 70,000 miners yet productivity was low, and virtually none of its output was exported. The average equipment depreciation was 90%. During the early years of the business, SUEK's assets were modernized, debts were repaid, wages and taxes were paid, and a modernization program was launched with new machinery. The old mines and worn-out equipment were transformed into modern enterprises. Several enrichment factories and modules were put into operation with the latest processing technologies that allowed SUEK to produce highly enriched coal with low impurity levels. SUEK built modern coal bulk terminals and upgraded seaports, and built Russia's first coal mine methane processing station to generate power within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. Russia's first smart mining management control center was built to run all SUEK's operations, monitoring the location and well-being of miners working underground.