Queensland’s Coordinator General has recommended the Winchester South metallurgical coal project to proceed, Whitehaven Coal said on Friday.
The metallurgical coal project has been assessed to produce up to 17-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine production, which, with 380-million tonnes of reserves, will supply the international market for many years.
The Winchester South project is located about 30 km southwest of Moranbah within the Bowen basin in central Queensland.
Acquired from Rio Tinto in 2018, Winchester South is adjacent to the Daunia metallurgical coal mine, which Whitehaven is acquiring. This will provide opportunities for future synergies, including potential integration of the operations.
“This Coordinator General recommendation is an important milestone for Whitehaven, for the people of Queensland and for our trading partners who rely on Australia’s high-quality metallurgical coal, which is essential for steel production,” said Whitehaven in a statement.