Australia supports Adani's Carmichael project: Govt

 

Australia will support Adani Group's $16.5-billion Carmichael coal mine and rail project in Queensland that will provide power to 100 million Indians, Australia Resources and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said on Wednesday.

Frydenberg said even 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 awaiting conclusion. The state government and the federal government as well as the federal opposition, all support the Carmichael project," he told reporters 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 the capital, meeting Frydenberg and Investment and Trade Minister Andrew Robb.

This project will create thousands of jobs, worth billions of dollars in investment, and more importantly, it 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," 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 shop coal to India.

Earlier this month, Queensland state's department of environment and heritage protection (EHP) said it has issued a final environmental authority 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 to these issues, he added.