Queensland Premier visits Mundra, reaffirms commitment to Adani’s mine project

Ahmedabad: Adani Group today hosted a high level delegation led by Ms. Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland, Australia at Mundra Port who reaffirmed Queensland government’s commitment to the $16.5 billion Carmichael mine project.

Last year, the Queensland state's department of environment and heritage protection (EHP) issued a final environmental authority (EA) for Adani’s Carmichael Mine
project in the Galilee Basin. The EA application was vigorously assessed by the department and acted on recommendations made by the land court.

Adani group is confident of fulfilling the strict conditions placed on the EA, including extra requirements based on the land court’s recommendations and ensure this mine
will not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment.

Earlier in the day, the delegation visited Mundra Port of Adani Group’s and are scheduled to visit Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu to see the world’s largest solar project which generates 648 megawatts of green electricity.

Queensland premier, Ms. Palaszczuk said after the visit, “I am very happy to be here at Mundra and it is wonderful to see the port to solar plant to Agri businesses of Adani and its associated infrastructure. Indians are a great community in Australia and the Indo-Australian relations are growing from strength to strength. The Australian Prime Minister will also be visiting India shortly and that shows the significance of the relationship. My visit here shows that Queensland supports the Adani project for its potential to create many
jobs for regional Queensland and will also help boost the Indian economy. Queensland will also be part of the solar project of Adani and we are delighted to be part of Adani in that project too.”

“We extend a warm welcome to the Honourable Premier Ms Palaszczuk along with the mayoral delegation and are very pleased to showcase our world class infrastructure created at Mundra by Adani Group. Our mining project will create economic prosperity and creation of thousands of jobs for the people of regional Queensland. The Carmichael mine will help bring energy security to millions of Indians who do not have access to electricity. The Adani group is committed to nation building projects in the energy and infrastructure space which will create economic and social benefits for people of India and Australia,” said Mr. Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group.

The Premier and delegation visit is also significant in terms of Indo-Australian trade partnership as it lays a foundation stone of trade and commerce, especially in natural
resources. The project involves construction of a near-400km rail line from the Carmichael mine site to the Adani owned and operated bulk coal-loading facility at Abbott Point near Bowen.

“Adani is similarly proud to be bringing this project to fruition and thereby generate tens of thousands of jobs for regional Queensland while help providing electricity to millions of Indians. The project will lead towards the overall development of the region in leaps and bounds. Adani will use mining support services from Mackay-Bowen region, Rockhampton and Townsville have been shortlisted by Adani as a Fly In Fly Out hub. The Mackay-Bowen region will also provide Adani with port services, as well as become the HQ for
Adani’s rail and port operations.” said Mr. Jeyakumar Janakaraj, CEO, Adani Australia.

Adani Group ventured into Australia commenced in 2010 with the purchase of the Greenfield Carmichael Coal Mine in the Galilee Basin, Central Queensland, and the Port of Abbot Point near Bowen in North Queensland. The vision is to operate a vertically integrated model – with the extraction of coal from our Carmichael Mine, transported by rail to Abbot Point, and exported to meet consumer and business demands in offshore markets, a statement by the group issued today a day after a letter by environmentalists and others from Australia was handed over to the group, said.

The project will build Australia’s largest thermal coal mine in the north Galilee Basin approximately 160km north-west of Clermont in Central Queensland, linked by a standard gauge North Galilee Basin Rail Line to two terminals at Abbot Point Port near Bowen. Over its 60 year of the mine’s life this major infrastructure will not only support
Adani’s operations, the railway line and port, but will also provide infrastructure for the development of other proposed mines, extending the mining boom and allowing more jobs to be generated now and into the future, the statement said adding that Coal from, Carmichael mine is to be used to generate power for 100 million Indians and is committed to generate 10,000 direct/indirect jobs in Queensland.

The group has has already invested $3.3 billion in the coal mine, railway and port project in Australia. The benefits will extend locally, regionally and across Queensland providing much needed job opportunities and generating around $22 billion in state mining taxes and royalties in just the first half of the project life. This will assist much needed public funding to help deliver schools, hospitals, roads and other services and stimulating activity throughout the economy, it said.

The project is also facing vehement opposition form many quarters including from environment protection groups.