February 14, 2022

Flatulent Narrabri Underground expansion would be most polluting thermal coal mine in Australia for direct greenhouse emissions

A Lock the Gate analysis has revealed that if built, the Narrabri Underground Coal mine expansion would become the most polluting thermal coal mine for direct greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, when compared to existing coal mines.

The comparison is made using data from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER), which also shows the expanded mine’s annual Scope 1 (direct, onsite) emissions (1.36 million tonnes) would be the fourth highest of any coal mine now operating in the country (see table in background).

The analysis comes as a two day Independent Planning Commision hearing gets underway to determine whether or not the project should proceed (Livestream available here).

In terms of total emissions, Whitehaven’s expansion would contribute nearly half a billion tonnes of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. But due to the extremely gassy nature of the coal seams, the Scope 1 emissions alone would equal more than 30 million tonnes.

As well as being detrimental for the climate, the sheer volume of direct emissions throws into doubt claims by the Planning Department that the project would have a net positive impact on the state’s economy.

In fact, the NSW Planning Department itself admitted, in its assessment report provided to the Independent Planning Commission that “The apportionment of the full GHG emission costs (including the increase in direct emissions identified in the GGEF) would substantially decrease the Economic Assessment’s estimates of a direct benefit to NSW of $599 million (NPV).”

Despite this, in Whitehaven’s economic assessment, the company set aside 99.69% of Scope 1 and 2 emissions attributable to the expansion, arguing that as NSW’s GDP represents only 0.31 of 1 percent of the global economy, only 0.31 of 1 percent of their Scope 1 and 2 emissions should accrue as indirect costs (Pg 38).

In a recent coal mine determination (Mangoola, April 2021), the IPC stated that it was “of the view that all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions should be fully costed in the economic analysis because they are emitted in NSW, and therefore attributable to NSW and the Project.”

Given this position, the IPC has written to the Department of Planning to ask it to either commission an independent economic review of this issue or explain why it thinks that is not necessary.

Lock the Gate Alliance NSW coordinator Nic Clyde said, “The Narrabri Underground coal mine expansion is the flatulent, emissions belching project the people of NSW cannot afford.

“This is the cost of the climate crisis, written in black and white. For the first time as far as we’re aware, the local, direct GHG emissions that would be emitted just getting the coal out of the ground here in NSW (Scope 1), and the costs associated with those emissions, very likely outweigh the direct positive economic contribution the entire mining project would make.

“It’s likely we already reached this economic tipping point in the past with other high-emitting coal projects, but for the NSW Government to now doubt its own cost benefit analysis shows that the economic equation for new coal projects has well and truly flipped.

“It’s perverse and insupportable that the Planning Department recommended Whitehaven’s coal mine be approved, despite the huge volume of greenhouse gas emissions it would be responsible for given the state is aiming to reach net zero by 2050.

“We’re hopeful the commissioners will see Whitehaven’s arguments in favour of Narrabri Underground are full of hot air, and ultimately reject this flatulent carbon bomb.”

ENDS

BACKGROUND:

Largest annual Scope 1 emissions of any thermal coal mine in Australia

Narrabri Underground Stage 3 average annual Scope 1 emissions (1.36 Mt CO2-e) would be higher than those reported by any other thermal coal mine in Australia in 2019-20 to the Clean Energy Regulator.

If the Stage 3 expansion were operating today, Scope 1 GHG emissions would be the fourth highest of all coal mines in Australia in 2019-20 (metallurgical and thermal).

Of all of the coal mines in NSW, only one reported higher Scope 1 emissions in 2019/20: South32's Appin mine (2.17 Mt CO2-e).
In QLD, there are only two mines which reported more than 1.36 Mt CO2-e in 2019-20: Capcoal (3.15 Mt CO2-e) and Moranbah North (2.32 Mt CO2-e).
Appin, Capcoal and Moranbah North are all metallurgical coal mines (all three produce 90% or more metallurgical coal). Narrabri Underground Stage 3 would be a 95% thermal coal mine.
Both NSW DPIE and NSW IPC have clearly differentiated between thermal and metallurgical coal projects in previous assessments and determinations.

Table 1: 2019–20 Safeguard facility data (CER)

#	Facility name	State	Responsible emitter	Scope 1 GHGs 2019-20 (Mt CO2-e)
1	Capcoal Mine	QLD	ANGLO COAL	3,149,800
2	Moranbah North Mine	QLD	ANGLO COAL	2,318,893
3	APN01 Appin Colliery - ICH Facility	NSW	ENDEAVOUR COAL PTY LIMITED	2,167,030
	Narrabri Underground Mine Expansion Stage 3			1,360,000
4	Goonyella Broadmeadow Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LIMITED	1,273,036
5	Tahmoor Coal Mine	NSW	TAHMOOR COAL PTY LTD	1,238,774
6	Oaky Creek Coal Complex	QLD	OAKY CREEK HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED	1,227,828
7	Grosvenor Mine	QLD	ANGLO COAL (GROSVENOR MANAGEMENT) PTY LTD	1,185,349
8	Mandalong Mine	NSW	CENTENNIAL MANDALONG PTY LIMITED	1,160,613
9	Kestrel Mine	QLD	KESTREL COAL GROUP PTY LTD	970,726
10	Maules Creek Open Cut Mine	NSW	MAULES CREEK COAL PTY LTD	840,834
11	Warkworth Mine	NSW	COAL & ALLIED INDUSTRIES LIMITED	797,201
12	Bulga Coal Complex	NSW	BULGA COAL MANAGEMENT PTY LIMITED	747,505
13	Carborough Downs Coal Mine	QLD	FITZROY (CQ) PTY LTD	656,281
14	Curragh Mine	QLD	CORONADO AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS	614,968
15	Integra Underground Mine	NSW	HV COKING COAL PTY LIMITED	601,244
16	Blackwater Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS	592,875
17	Dawson Mine	QLD	ANGLO COAL	570,556
18	Caval Ridge Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS	563,343
19	Hunter Valley Operations mine	NSW	HV OPERATIONS PTY LTD	562,470
20	Wambo Coal Mine	NSW	WAMBO COAL PTY LIMITED	562,468
21	Bengalla Operations	NSW	BENGALLA MINING COMPANY PTY LIMITED	538,857
22	HVY01 Hunter Valley Energy Coal - CCL Facility	NSW	HUNTER VALLEY ENERGY COAL PTY LTD	538,610
23	Metropolitan Colliery	NSW	METROPOLITAN COLLIERIES PTY. LTD.	526,527
24	Narrabri Underground Mine (existing project)	NSW	NARRABRI COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD	507,061
25	Hail Creek Mine	QLD	HAIL CREEK COAL PTY LTD	503,591
26	Chain Valley Colliery	NSW	DELTA ELECTRICITY PTY LTD	503,212
27	Peak Downs Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LIMITED	497,134
28	Myuna Colliery	NSW	CENTENNIAL MYUNA PTY LIMITED	460,834
29	Mount Pleasant Operations	NSW	MACH ENERGY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	448,683
30	Newlands Coal Complex including Newlands Northern UG	QLD	NC COAL COMPANY PTY LIMITED	434,665
31	Saraji Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS	417,183
32	Ensham Resources Minesite	QLD	ENSHAM RESOURCES PTY. LIMITED	402,871
33	Clermont Coal Operations	QLD	CLERMONT COAL OPERATIONS	381,970
34	Glendell	NSW	MT OWEN PTY LIMITED	335,246
35	Lake Vermont Mine	QLD	THIESS PTY LTD	300,794
36	Ravensworth Operations	NSW	RAVENSWORTH OPERATIONS PTY LIMITED	291,655
37	Daunia Mine	QLD	BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD	271,875
38	South Walker Creek	QLD	BHP MITSUI COAL PTY LTD	264,293
39	Jellinbah Mine	QLD	JELLINBAH MINING PTY LTD	246,250
40	North Goonyella Coal Mine	QLD	PEABODY (BOWEN) PTY LTD	243,234
41	Byerwen Mine	QLD	BYERWEN COAL PTY LTD	220,835
42	Coppabella Coal Mine	QLD	PEABODY ENERGY AUSTRALIA	219,580
43	Middlemount Coal Mine	QLD	MIDDLEMOUNT COAL PTY LTD	214,732
44	Foxleigh Mine	QLD	FOXLEIGH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD	200,394
45	Ashton Coal Mine	NSW	ASHTON COAL OPERATIONS PTY LIMITED	196,641
46	Poitrel Mine	QLD	BHP MITSUI COAL PTY LTD	194,712
47	Dendrobium Colliery	NSW	DENDROBIUM COAL PTY LTD	188,028
48	Yarrabee Coal Mine	QLD	YARRABEE COAL COMPANY PTY. LTD.	184,282
49	Russell Vale Colliery	NSW	Wollongong Coal	182,578
50	Liddell Coal Mine	NSW	LIDDELL COAL OPERATIONS PTY. LIMITED	174,805
51	Boggabri Coal Minesite	NSW	BOGGABRI COAL PTY LIMITED	174,391
52	Batchfire Resources No.1	QLD	BATCHFIRE RESOURCES PTY LTD	168,283
53	Rolleston Coal Mine	QLD	ROLLESTON COAL HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED	166,843
54	Moolarben Coal Mine	NSW	MOOLARBEN COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD	166,280
55	Drake Mine	QLD	DRAKE MINE MANAGEMENT PTY LTD	156,044
56	Ravensworth Underground Coal Mine	NSW	RESOURCE PACIFIC PTY LIMITED	155,307
57	Collinsville Mine	QLD	NC COAL COMPANY PTY LIMITED	153,071
58	Wilpinjong Coal Mine	NSW	WILPINJONG COAL PTY LTD	138,594
59	Moorvale Coal Mine		PEABODY ENERGY AUSTRALIA PCI (C&M MANAGEMENT) PTY LTD	136,903
60	Mangoola	NSW	MANGOOLA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD	123,435
61	Dartbrook Coal Mine	NSW	AQC DARTBROOK MANAGEMENT PTY LTD	112,089
62	Isaac Plains Coal Mine	QLD	STANMORE IP COAL PTY LTD	111,665

Data: downloaded from the Clean Energy Regulator’s ‘Safeguard facility reported emissions 2019–20’ web page with non-coal mine data removed to enable a comparison with existing coal mines:
http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/National%20greenhouse%20and%20energy%20reporting%20data/safeguard-facility-reported-emissions/safeguard-facility-emissions-2019%E2%80%9320

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