GERMAN engineering giant Siemens said today that it would continue infrastructure work on a coal mine in Australia despite protests from climate change activists.

The controversial open-cast mine in Queensland, owned by India’s Adani group, will open next year as one of the world’s biggest coal mines.

Siemens has a contract worth about £15 million to supply railway signalling equipment for the Carmichael mine.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists have frequently held demonstrations outside Siemens headquarters in Munich and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has joined calls against the mine.

Environmentalists in Australia – the world’s second-biggest thermal coal exporter – have also protested against the project, concerned about the damage fossil fuels contribute to global warming.

The recent bush fires in Australia have been linked to climate change and experts warn that similar catastrophes will be a common occurrence if the world continues to rely on fossil fuels.

Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser said the company “fundamentally shares” the goal of making fossil fuels redundant, but said that it needed to stick to its “commitments” as a supplier.