India’s Adani Enterprises has secured a final environmental approval to begin construction on its Carmichael coal mine project in Central Queensland.
Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) has approved Adani’s Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management Plan (GDEMP) for the project.
Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow said: “This is confirmation the plan complies with all regulatory conditions set by the Australian and State Governments, bringing to a close a two-year process of rigorous scientific inquiry, review and approvals. This includes relevant reviews by Australia’s pre-eminent scientific organisations CSIRO and Geoscience Australia.
The GDEMP is the second of the two environmental management plans that required approval for Adani to begin mining activities at its Carmichael mine site. The first is the Black-Throated Finch Management Plan, which was approved on 31 May.
Dow said: “The finalization of the GDEMP and Black-throated Finch Management Plan paves the way for construction to commence on the Carmichael Project and the delivery of much-needed jobs for regional Queenslanders.”
Carmichael coal mine project details
Located across a 200km² area in the northern part of Galilee Basin, approximately 160km north-west of Clermont in Central Queensland, the Carmichael coal mine is expected to have approximately 60 years of operational life.
Planned to commence production in 2021, it is expected to produce 27.5 million tons of per annum (mpta) of coal in its first stage.
According to estimates, the mine contains ten billion tons of JORC-compliant thermal coal resources, including 3.4 billion tons of measured and indicated resources.
The coal produced from the coal mine will be sent to Abbot Point Port through a 189km rail line.
Dow said: “The project will deliver 1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs during ramp up and construction, with Rockhampton and Townsville the primary hubs for employment. The Whitsunday, Isaac, Central Highlands, Mackay, Charters Towers and Gladstone regions will also benefit from work packages and employment opportunities.”
In November 2018, Adani Mining said that it would finance the coal project from its own resources.
