NSW environment authorities have confirmed a coal mine expansion planned for the Hunter Valley would be the largest in the state’s history if approved.
NSW environment authorities have confirmed a coal mine expansion planned for the Hunter Valley would be the largest in the state’s history if approved.
The Hunter Valley Operations Continuation Project, a joint venture between Glencore and Yancoal, would mine 716 million tonnes of coal over 26 years until 2050. It would be responsible for more than 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, including 30 million tonnes of direct emissions.
Recent advice from NSW’s Environment Protection Authority confirms for the first time that HVO is the largest coal project ever proposed in the state’s history.
The advice also says that when emissions from the project peak in the 2040s HVO’s direct greenhouse gas pollution would make up 3.5% of all the emissions produced in NSW.
It was previously revealed that other sectors of the NSW economy would have to decarbonise quicker and more aggressively should HVO be built. However, the EPA’s advice points out there is no “framework in place to support shifting the burden of decarbonisation from one sector to another”.
The HVO expansion is one of 18 new coal projects currently under assessment by planning authorities in NSW (see below table). If all are approved, it would allow the mining of more than 1.2 billion tonnes of coal.
Lock the Gate Alliance NSW Coordinator Nic Clyde said the state’s planning process was yet to catch up with the government’s climate targets.
"The NSW Government has already acknowledged that the state is forecast to fall well short of climate change targets for 2030 and 2035.
"Approving the largest coal project in the state’s history would blow those targets out of the water. It would be an absolute disaster for NSW communities already living with the devastating impacts of extreme weather, made worse due to the extraction and burning of fossil fuels like coal.
"Glencore and Yancoal’s HVO expansion is a huge test for the NSW Government and its new climate change law. The planning system in this state needs to be updated so immensely polluting coal projects like this stand no chance of approval.
“Other industries and businesses in NSW should not have to bear the brunt of greater emissions reduction because coal mines, the biggest cause of global warming, are still trying to expand.
"There are a total of 18 new coal projects going through the NSW assessment process right now. Each one of these projects, if approved, would drastically set back our chance of meeting NSW emissions targets and will fuel dangerous climate change - we can’t afford more coal mine expansions."
ENDS
Quotes from the EPA’s advice:
“This proposal is the largest coal mining proposal ever put forward in NSW…”
“The proposed HVO North and South Open Cut Coal Continuation Project (the Project) is the most significant proposal for coal extraction in NSW’s history.”
“The Project relies on offsets, with no detail on where the offsets will be generated. If approved… modelling indicates the Project will generate a significant amount of GHG emissions, accounting for 35% of all NSW coal sector GHG emissions in the absence of any onsite abatement or offsetting within NSW in 2045. This represents over 3.5% of NSW total emissions in 2045.”
|
Coal mine |
Expansion project |
New ROM coal proposed (Mt) |
Total Scope 1 (Mt) |
Total Scope 2 (Mt) |
Total Scope 3 (Mt) |
|
|
1 |
Mt Arthur |
90 |
2.516 |
0.363 |
190.265 |
|
|
2 |
Chain Valley |
9.5 |
1.971372 |
0.221637 |
23.48648 |
|
|
3 |
HVO |
716 |
29.31 |
0.28 |
1,135.43 |
|
|
4 |
Moolarben |
30 |
0.49 |
0.05 |
64.06 |
|
|
5 |
Ulan |
27.5 |
0.13 |
0.247 |
64.59 |
|
|
6 |
Newstan |
25.9 |
0.575954 |
0.208567 |
64.573 |
|
|
7 |
Angus Place |
8.5 |
Data not yet available (will be released in EIS) |
NA |
NA |
|
|
8 |
Rix's Creek |
63.5 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
9 |
Maules Creek |
120 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
10 |
Clarence |
4.7 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
11 |
Glendell |
1.8 |
0.074901 |
0.000399 |
2.635136 |
|
|
12 |
Russell Vale |
1.8 |
NA* |
NA |
NA |
|
|
13 |
Mt Pleasant |
75 |
NA** |
NA |
NA |
|
|
14 |
Tahmoor |
2.5 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
15 |
Bloomfield |
5.8 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
16 |
Wilpinjong |
34 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
17 |
Metropolitan |
2.8 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
18 |
Boggabri |
30 (from 2036 to 2040) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
Total |
1,249.3 |
35.06 |
1.369 |
1,545 |