Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) confirmed that Australia’s Queensland state government has granted it preferred developer status for a bauxite mine and alumnia refinery project, The Standard reported. The paper quoted Chalco's senior representative in Australia, Wenfu Wang, as saying an around 18-month feasibility study into the project is continuing. If it goes ahead, the estimated 2.2 billion US dollars development will result in the biggest single Chinese investment in Australia. The concession centers on building and operating a mine at Aurukun, on Cape York Peninsula, and a refinery at Townsville, Bowen or Gladstone.