While the use of coal to supply electrical power in the U.S. is controversial, the world’s biggest coal project is developing in Australia.
The Carmichael is considered the most contentious coal project and is supported by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. It will cover nearly 250,000 square kilometers which is an area the size of the United Kingdom. And reports suggest if it is fully developed in Australia’s huge Galilee Basin, it could potentially more than double Australia’s coal exports.
The Adani Group, which will self-finance the project after potential lenders dropped off, will also build infrastructure, including a vital rail line to help transport the coal to the coast for export.
The International Energy Agency says its success will determine the fate of other large projects in the Galilee, including India’s GVK Group and Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart’s Alpha Coal project.
Australia is already the world’s second-largest exporter of power station coal, contributing more than 200 million metric tons a year to the global seaborne trade. If Carmichael — along with its railroad — gets built, it will be despite almost a decade of concerted opposition from environmental groups.