China First

China First is a proposal by Waratah Coal, a subsidiary of Clive Palmer's Mineralogy Pty Ltd, to build a new 40 million tonnes a year thermal coal export project, a 471 kilometre railway and a 900 megawatt coal-fired power station.

The proposed $8 billion project is proposed to located near Alpha in the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland, Australia. to be exported from an as yet to be built 471 kilometre section of railway to the Abbott Point coal terminal. The company is proposing that the mine comprise two open-cut mines and four underground longwall mines. The company states that it is aiming for first engineering works in March 2012 and first exports in December 2014.

The project would 6000 people during construction and 1500 when operating.

Galilee Power Project
The company is also proposing the construction of the Galilee Power project, a 900 megawatt coal-fired power station. The power stations has been declared a significant project by the State’s Coordinator-General, Colin Jensen. It has been proposed that the project be located 30 kilometres west of Alpha and be developed in two stages and utilise waste coal from the proposed mine. It has also been proposed that the project would incorporate Carbon Capture and Storage. In September 2009 the cost of the project was estimated to be $1.25 billion and employ "up to 1,000 jobs" during construction and 60 when operating.

Environmental Impact Statement
Website: http://www.waratahcoal.com/publications.htm

Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation Project website

 * Website: for China First coal Project: http://www.deedi.qld.gov.au/cg/galilee-coal-project-northern-export-facility.html
 * Website for Gallilee Power project: http://www.deedi.qld.gov.au/cg/galilee-basin-power-station.html

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 * Australia and coal
 * Queensland and coal