Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Indian major Adani has announced that early work on its $16.5-billion Carmichael coal project, in Queensland, will start in October, with first shipments targeted for March 2020.
The announcement comes just days after Adani won three legal battles against the proposed 60-million-tonne-a-year project, after the Federal Court dismissed challenges by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Adrian Barrugubba, and the Queensland Court of Appeal ruled against Burragubba’s opposition to the grant of a mining lease for the Carmichael project.
Adani said on Monday that the first regional contractor to benefit from the mine would be GA Services, which has been selected to refurbish existing exploration camp accommodation.
Adani’s country head and CEO for Australia, Jeyakumar Janakaraj, said that the award of the refurbishment contract was an example of Adani being able to enact long-held plans to benefit regional Queensland.
“Engaging with regional contractors has enabled us to be flexible and quick to get some of our construction infrastructure already operational.
“Adani Australia’s regional content initiatives will have long-term benefits for Queensland, particularly for contractors like GA Services who help us meet our Indigenous content targets,” said Janakaraj.
Adani previously awarded an A$82-million contract to Rockhampton-based Austrak to supply concrete sleepers to the Carmichael coal and rail project, as well as a A$74-million contract to Arrium Mining and Materials for the supply of around 54 000 t of railway tracks.