GVK wins state nod for $6.3 bn Australian coal mine

GVK Power & Infrastructure has won environmental approval from the state of Queensland for its 6.4 billion-Australian dollar (Rs 35,000 crore) Alpha coal project, clearing a key hurdle towards winning a lease for the Australian mine.

The approval from Queensland's coordinator-general sets a range of conditions for building a mine designed to produce 30 million tonnes a year of thermal coal and a 495 km (310 mile) rail line from the mine to the port of Abbot Point.

"It's another step towards getting a mining lease and final approvals," GVK's spokesman Chris Bombolas said.