Melbourne: India's mining giant Adani will start work on its 16.5 billion dollar Carmichael coal project in Australia in October and is expected to ship the first consignment in March 2020, the company has said after the controversy-hit project cleared two major legal hurdles.
The group has for more than five years battled opposition from green groups who are opposed to any expansion of the port, saying it will cut into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The port is to be used for exporting coal to India.
The group has so far invested Australian dollar 3.4 billion on the Abbot Point port and preparatory work for the Carmichael coal mine.
The company decided to move forward on the project after it cleared two more legal hurdles last week with a Brisbane court dismissing appeals filed by environmentalists and a traditional landowner against the venture.
"We will start construction of the project by October and first coal will come out in March 2020," Adani chairman Gautam Adani said on Sunday.
Adani Australia Country Head and CEO Jeyakumar Janakaraj said this was yet another example of Adani finally being able to enact long-held plans to benefit Queensland state.
The company has selected the first regional contractor to refurbish its existing exploration camp accommodation.