Indian-owned coal producer Bravus — a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Adani — will invest A$50mn ($32mn) to expand its Carmichael coal mine in Australia's Queensland to 16mn t/yr from 10mn t/yr over the next four years.

Bravus' initial A$50mn investment is part of a deal with the Queensland state government and will support a larger A$500mn expansion of the mine, the state government said on 19 August. The initial investment will be used for the construction of Carmichael's accommodation village and support infrastructure and fund engineering work over the next two years.

Bravus has completed some engineering studies and assessments relating to the full expansion, the company said on 19 August.

Queensland's conservative Liberal government agreed to honour a 2020 royalty deferral agreement between Bravus and the state's former Labor government in exchange for the A$50mn commitment.

Bravus will need to pay back all deferred royalties with interest, Queensland treasurer David Janetzki said on 19 August. Neither party has disclosed details around the value of the deferral, repayment interest rate, or repayment timeline.

Queensland's government emphasised that the Bravus deal was negotiated under the previous government and it would not provide additional royalty deferrals to mining producers. Australian producer Bowen Coking Coal — which produces coking and thermal coal in Queensland — entered voluntary administration on 30 July after the state government rejected a royalty deferral request.

Bravus' Carmichael investment comes on the back of a period of elevated output at the mine. It produced 12.9mn t of coal at Carmichael in April 2024–March 2025, running above nameplate capacity over the fiscal year.

By Avinash Govind