The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Trade Minister Andrew Robb has defended Indian company Adani`s plans to develop the massive Carmichael mine in Queensland`s Galilee Basin, saying despite opposition from some quarters, the project will go ahead.

Adani coal mine jobs to be created at the Carmichael project would number some 10,000, with an expected output of 60 million tonnes a year for the next 60 years, from reserves in the billions of tonnes.

Some financial analysts hold the view that the project is financially unviable. The Minister has refuted these claims after a recent visit to India where he had talks with the man behind the massive project, Gautam Adani, and toured Adani`s power station and port facilities.

Amid mounting court battles with conservation groups trying to tie the project up in litigation, and fears the $16 billion project won`t attract the funding it needs to get off the ground, Robb said he was confident the mine will be built.

In the latest case, the Mackay Conservation Group will argue that Federal Environment minister Greg Hunt failed to take into account the climate impact of greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of coal from the Carmichael mine when assessing whether to grant its licence.

“The analysts are all entitled to their view, a lot of them had the same view about [Adani’s] port which is bigger than anything in Australia, and about his power station, which is the biggest in India,” Robb said.

“He’s just about to embark on a solar operation which is a 100 megawatts, which is just monstrous, with some of the best companies in the world. All of his other activities “� they [financial analysts] were wrong with all of those.”

But Robb said he has seen the business plan and believes in the mine`s credentials.

Last year the Queensland government announced plans to help fund Adani’s rail, airport, sea port and electricity infrastructure for the Carmichael project. The government plans to take a short-term minority stake in the assets.

Adani Australia chief executive Jeyakumar Janakaraj said the deal should help ease any concerns investors were having about bankrolling the coal mine.

“It gives confidence to investors who are considering their long-term plans in the basin that the state is committed to the best possible infrastructure being in place to support the further development of the Galilee, and the jobs and exports that will provide,”� Janakaraj said.