In April, Rusal landed a major equity and supply deal with Braidy Industries, which is building the first greenfield aluminium rolling mill in the United States in 37 years.
Once completed, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 million tonnes, underpinning output of the Pilbara Blend, Rio Tinto’s flagship iron ore product.
Coal is Australia’s second-largest income generator after iron ore, and many lawmakers welcome efforts to boost an industry that brings in A$60 billion ($42 billion) a year.