$1bn Olive Downs Coking Coal Project in QLD secures new approval

Pembroke Resources is another step closer to commencing major construction on its $1 billion Olive Downs Coking Coal Project in Central Queensland as it secures Federal approvals from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. 

This new approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, together with the Environmental Authority (EA) granted by the State Government in 2019, will pave the way for the Mining Lease to be granted. 

The Federal approvals will also authorise activities to get underway over a 79-year mine life as well as provide conditions for operations of the Olive Downs mine and its associated infrastructure corridors which includes environmental obligations. 

“This is an exciting time for the Company and the region’s wider community. The EPBC approvals, and the EA, which was granted last year, represent key milestones for the Project. The next key milestone is securing the grant of the mining leases, which will enable us to commence construction. We anticipate these to be granted in the coming months and look forward to construction and employment commencing shortly after this,” Pembroke Resources Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Barry Tudor said. 

With the grant of the Mining Lease on the horizon, the project team is now assembling all the components needed to commence construction, which includes access to power, water, rail and port. 

“This includes investing considerable time consulting with the local community throughout the approvals process, focusing on creating opportunity for local jobs, engaging with stakeholders, and establishing a strong relationship with Barada Barna as the traditional owners of the land, having an Indigenous Land Use Agreement in place,” Pembroke Resources said on a statement. 

With up to 500 construction jobs and more than 1,000 operational jobs to be created, the Olive Downs Coking Coal Project is anticipated to help the State jump towards economic recovery post COVID-19. 

In addition, the project is expected to contribute approximately $5.5 billion in royalties for the Queensland Government over the life of the mine. 

Once development commences, Pembroke Resources will provide its workforce with opportunities to live in towns close to the mine – including in Moranbah and Dysart. 

The Olive Downs project will also provide significant opportunities for local as well as regional suppliers, contractors, service providers and businesses in addition to the jobs it will create at the mine. 

Source: Pembroke Resources

The $1 billion Olive Downs Coking Coal Project – located in the Bowen Basin, about 40 kilometres south east of Moranbah – will include: 

• An open-cut metallurgical coal mine 
• A coal handling and preparation plant 
• An 18-kilometre rail spur and on site rail loop 
• A raw water pipeline connecting to the Eungella pipeline network 
• Private access roads 
• Electrical transmission line 
• Wastewater and sewage treatment plants 

Once operational, the mine will be able to produce up to 15Mtpa of metallurgical coal over its 79-year mine life, supplying steelmaking coal to markets globally. 

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Source: Pembroke Resources (1, 2); Australian Mining; Mining Technology