India’s GVK has been granted environmental approval for its Alpha Mine and Rail Project in Queensland, Australia.

Following a four-year long assessment process, Australia’s federal environment minister Tony Burke has given an approval decision to construct and operate the Alpha Coal Mine and a railway line between the mine and the port at Abbot Point, near Bowen.

Ireland’s Greencore Group has acquired International Cuisine Limited, a private label chilled ready meal business, from the Hain Daniels Group in the UK.

International Cuisine Limited’s ready meal facility is based in Consett, County Durham and the majority of its revenue (approximately £45 million) is derived from several existing Greencore ready meal customers.

Alongside the severe energy crises currently being experienced by most African countries comes a huge opportunity to direct investments into clean, efficient, renewable energy for the growth of a green economy in Africa.

Dr Tawanda Mushuku, managing director of UAC Foods, is putting in place a firm strategy for creating a world class manufacturing, sales and marketing business in Nigeria.

The role of junior exploration companies is to find something to mine; but there is one such company planning to use the finds it has made to transform into a major mining operation.

Australian bottling company Coca-Cola Amatil has agreed to lend around $46 million to the Australian Beer Company, it has been announced.

The company said the loan is a preparatory step towards its re-entry into the Australian premium beer market and will be used by the Australian Beer Company (part of the Casella Group) to assist with the acquisition and expansion of a state-of-the-art brewery in Griffith, New South Wales, into a 500,000 hectolitre annual capacity brewery. 

US-based ITC Global, a provider of satellite communications to the mining, energy and maritime sectors, has acquired the remaining 10 per cent interest in ITC Guinee.

As a result of the transaction, ITC Global will own 100 per cent of ITC Guinee SARL. 

ITC Global's Guinea office has been fully operational since 2005 through an agency agreement. The location is fully staffed with a technical team that will continue to deliver ITC Global's customised solutions, the company said.

Irish healthcare services provider United Drug has agreed to acquire UK and US clinical services businesses Bilcare Global Clinical Supplies from India-based Bilcare.

The deal, which is worth $61 million, is expected to complete on 31 August 2012. As part of the agreement, Bilcare will retain its clinical supplies business in Asia.