Coal miner Macmines AustAsia plans to commence the process for securing the requisite approvals to advance its proposed $3bn coal mine in Central Queensland.
Macmines is the Australian unit of Chinese coal producer Meijin and had earlier outlined its plans for a 45 million tonnes per annummine complex in the Galilee basin.
The mine complex will include an open cut mine and up to four underground mines, where the company expects to produce thermal coal for export.
Development of the mine was delayed with the fall in coal prices, but the company is now on track to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and other documents required for government approval, reported The Australian.
Construction work on Macmines’ China Stone coal project, including an 800MW on-site power station, is scheduled to commence in 2015, while coal production could begin in 2017.
Coal produced from the mine is expected to be transported by rail to a nearby port, possibly the Abbot Point coal terminal.
The company had earlier expressed its intention to utilize a rail line proposed for development by Aurizon, instead of building its own railway infrastructure.