Australia will support Adani Group’s USD 16.5 billion Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project in the state of Queensland that will provide power to 100 million Indians, Australia Resources and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said on Wednesday.
Frydenberg said that the state government and the Federal Opposition are in support of the project, which is expected to attract billions of dollars in investment.
All the commonwealth approvals have been granted. There are some state approvals, which are awaiting conclusion. The state government and the federal government as well as the federal opposition, all support the Carmichael project.Josh Frydenberg, after a meeting with Power Minister Piyush Goyal
The Carmichael coal, railway and port project includes building Australia’s largest thermal coal mine in the North Galilee Basin approximately 160 km northwest of Clermont in Central Queensland, linked by a new 388 km standard gauge rail line to a new terminal at Abbot Point Port near Bowen.
Goyal is leading a delegation to Australia for the India-Australia Energy Dialogue.
He is in Canberra meeting Frydenberg and Investment and Trade Minister Andrew Robb. This is a project which will create thousands of jobs, is worth billions of dollars in investment and, importantly, will provide energy and electricity to 100 million Indians, Frydenberg added.
“Though it’s a very important project, it’s important for the relationship we are looking forward to going with,” he noted. The group led by Gautam Adani plans to build one of the world’s largest coal mines in Australia along with a railway line and a port to ship coal to India.
Earlier this month, Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) said it had issued a final environmental authority to the Carmichael mine project in the Galilee Basin. When asked about the discussion on Adani’s project, Goyal said:
Both sides had dialogue on their commercial projects that are facing issues. Both governments have decided to work in trying and finding solutions on these issues.
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