GVK Power gets 'green' signal for Kevin's Corner mine project

Hyderabad-based GVK Power & Infrastructure Limited has received environmental approval by the Coordinator-General for its $4.2-billion Kevin's Corner mine project in the Galilee Basin in western Queensland of Australia.

The Kevin's Corner project, proposes a 30-million tonne per annum (mtpa) underground and open-cut coal mine and other associated infrastructure 65 kilometre north-west of the Alpha township.The project would rely on the railway infrastructure of the adjacent Alpha Coal project to transport coal to the Port of Abbot Point, Bowen.

"This development is yet another breakthrough towards our goal to be the premier and the most reliable coal supplier to the world. The progress in this project further strengthens our commitment to develop world-class projects in a timely and responsible manner," GVK chairman and managing director, GV Krishna Reddy, stated in a press release on Saturday.

In May 2012, GVK's Alpha Coal Project received key environmental approval from Queensland government. In August 2012, the project got federal government approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC).

In March this year, GVK Coal Infrastructure (Singapore) Pte Ltd (GVK Hancock) and Aurizon signed a non-binding term sheet to jointly progress the development of rail and port infrastructure to unlock Galilee Basin coal reserves including GVK Hancock's Alpha, Kevin's Corner and Alpha West coal mines and a process to support the next phase of coal growth in the Bowen Basin.