The firm agreed to supply China with 30 million tons of coal a year for the next 20 years, making it Australia's biggest export contract of all time. Currently, about 80 percent of China’s power is generated by coal.
The agreement includes building a new mining complex in the state of Queensland and laying down nearly 300 miles of railway to transport the coal to the coast. Environmental groups in Australia are expected to protest the plan, as they promote reduction of coal mining in the country in favor of renewable sources of energy.
