Waratah Coal Continues $1 Billion Alpha North Galilee Power Project in Australia

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Researched by Industrial Infor Resources Australia (Perth, Australia)--Waratah Coal Incorporated (Brisbane, Australia), a wholly owned subsidiary of mineral resource company Mineralogy (Brisbane, Australia), is progressing with plans to build the 900-megawatt (MW) Galilee Basin Power Plant, as part of Australia's largest coal project in Galilee Basin, Queensland. The project is part of the company's $3.4 billion Alpha North Coal Project, which will be capable of producing 40 million tons per year of coal.

Waratah is conducting early-stage scoping and feasibility studies for the project. The company expects to obtain all of the necessary approvals by early 2016 and commence work on the project by the middle of the year. However, securing finances for such a large project amid current market conditions will be a challenge for Waratah.

The project will be built in two phases, with a 450-MW Phase I completion planned to coincide with the construction of the coal mine. The 450-MW Phase II will be built on a need basis upon the completion of the Phase I.

Waratah Coal is currently working with Parsons Brinckerhoff, which is providing early-phase engineering and design consultation for the project. Waratah Coal will determine the technical configuration of the power plant, based on the detailed design phase.

The completion of the plant is scheduled for mid-2018. According to Waratah, the power project alone will create 300 jobs during the course of its construction, while construction of the coal mine will provide employment to more than 4,000 people. Upon completion of the mine, the company will provide permanent employment to more than 1,000 people.

In the same area, Macmines Austasia Private Limited (Brisbane, Australia) is conducting feasibility studies to build an 800-MW power station to facilitate the Chinastone Coal Mine and Processing Plant. The coal mine is located in Galilee Basin, in Charters Towers, Queensland. Macmines plans to supply excess power from the newly built power plant to other mine facilities in the Galilee Basin.

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