印度集团为开发澳洲煤矿寻求中资支持

Adani Group has turned to China to help fund a vast coal mine in Australia, holding talks with a big state-owned enterprise and enlisting Canberra’s support to market the project.

阿达尼集团(Adani Group)为落实澳大利亚一座大型煤矿的开发资金将目光转向中国，与中国一家大型国有企业举行谈判，并在推销该项目方面争取到堪培拉方面的支持。

The Indian conglomerate approved construction of the A$16.5bn (US$12.7bn) coal mine in June but is struggling to fund the railway, coal and port development — in a project that has become a litmus test for global investors’ appetite for thermal coal.

这家印度综合企业集团在今年6月批准建设这座165亿澳元(合127亿美元)的煤矿，但难以落实铁路、煤矿和港口的开发资金。该项目已成为考验全球投资者对动力煤胃口的试金石。

Executives from Adani and Downer Group, a partner on the Carmichael coal project, met Zhang Chun, president of China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) earlier this year, according to CMEC’s website.

据中国机械设备工程公司(CMEC)网站介绍，来自阿达尼集团及其在卡迈克尔(Carmichael)煤矿项目的合作伙伴唐那集团(Downer Group)的高管们，今年早些时候会晤了CMEC总裁张淳。

“CMEC is willing to co-operate with Adani to take part in the development and construction of new-energy (such as wind power) projects in Australia as well as traditional and new-energy projects in India,” CMEC said in a statement at the time.

“CMEC也愿意与阿达尼一起合作参加澳大利亚新能源(如风电)项目和印度本土传统和新能源项目的开发和建设。”CMEC当时在一份声明中表示。

It is not known how far the talks with CMEC have progressed but last week the Australian government confirmed it had written to the Chinese government in an attempt to dispel alleged “misinformation” spread by environmental activists about the project.

尚不不清楚与CMEC的商谈进行到什么程度，但上周澳大利亚政府证实已经致函中国政府，以求驱散环保活动人士对该项目散布的“误导信息”。

“The Australian government has written to the government of China to confirm the project has received all necessary Queensland state government and Australian government environmental and mining approvals,” George Brandis, attorney-general, told parliament.

“澳大利亚政府已经致函中国政府，确认这个项目已经从昆士兰州政府和澳大利亚政府获得所有必要的环保和采矿许可。”联邦总检察长乔治•布兰迪斯(George Brandis)告诉议会。

The government denied it was advocating on behalf of the Adani company, following criticism from some lawmakers.

在一些议员提出批评后，澳大利亚政府否认它在为阿达尼公司站台。

The Carmichael project has become a symbol of the global battle between environmentalists and the fossil fuel industry, attracting a series of legal challenges that have caused lengthy delays.

卡迈克尔项目已成为环保人士和化石燃料行业之间全球角力的一个象征，吸引了一系列法律挑战，造成漫长拖延。

The proposed Carmichael mine sits in Queensland’s Galilee Basin, one of the world’s largest untapped coal resources. Adani plans to ship the coal to India from Abbot Point, a port near the Great Barrier Reef marine park.

拟建的卡迈克尔煤矿位于昆士兰州加利利盆地(Galilee Basin)，这里拥有世界上最大的未开采煤炭储量之一。阿达尼计划从阿博特波特(Abbot Point)港向印度发运煤炭，该港口靠近大堡礁海洋公园(Great Barrier Reef marine park)。

Green activists claim 21 banks have ruled out financing the mine project, which they say would have huge environmental costs.

环保活动人士声称，已有21家银行排除为这个煤矿项目融资的可能性;他们称，该项目将带来巨大环境代价。

The extent of opposition to the mine was demonstrated on Thursday when anti-Adani activists peppered Downer executives with questions about the mine at its annual meeting. Downer has previously said it would not help finance the mine.

对该项目的反对声浪周四表露无疑，反对阿达尼的活动人士在唐那年会上不停地向该集团高管提出有关该矿的质问。唐那此前已表示，不会帮助为该矿筹措资金。

Investors have become wary of the reputational damage associated with thermal coal due to threat posed by climate change. They are also wary of the financial risks associated with the fuel, which has experienced a sharp fall in prices since 2012.

由于气候变化带来的威胁，投资者已开始对与动力煤相关的声誉损害产生戒备心理。他们也对自2012年以来价格大幅下滑的煤炭的财务风险心怀警惕。

Tim Buckley, a director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, which opposes the mine, said Adani’s talks with CMEC were important as a deal could potentially provide the company with access to Chinese banks and the country’s export credit agencies.

反对这个煤矿项目的能源经济和财务分析研究所(Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)的主管之一蒂姆•巴克利(Tim Buckley)表示，阿达尼与CMEC的商谈是重要的，因为双方若达成交易，可能会为阿达尼打开中资银行和中国出口信贷机构的大门。

“I think China is the last bastion for Adani in terms of funding but it is definitely not agreed yet,” he said.

“我认为中国是阿达尼在资金方面的最后希望，但目前肯定还没有谈成。”他表示。

Mr Buckley said Chinese investors would have to weigh up not only the financial risks but also the extent of local opposition and the potential for a change in Australia’s political landscape.

巴克利表示，中国投资者不仅要考虑财务风险，还要考虑地方反对的程度以及澳大利亚政治格局变化的可能性。

Adani has applied for a A$900m ($695m) government grant to help it finance a railway to transport the coal to its port near the Great Barrier Reef marine park. A decision is pending on the application, which has been criticised by opponents of the Adani project.

阿达尼已申请9亿澳元(合6.95亿美元)的政府资助，用于建造把煤炭运至其位于大堡礁海洋公园附近的港口的铁路。仍在审核中的这项申请，受到了阿达尼项目反对者的批评。