Submission: Boggabri Coal Mine Modification
Submission to Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water on the proposed modification of Boggabri coal mine and the potential for it to have a significant, under evaluated impact on fugitive emissions increases.
Summary
Gaps in the emissions estimate and no clear mitigation plan
The Boggabri coal mine in NSW is seeking approval for a mining modification to dig for far deeper coal deposits and significantly prolong its mining life until 2040.
Ember made a submission to the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) on the Boggabri Coal Mine Modification. In the submission, we identified gaps in the emissions estimate currently used by the mine, reporting methane emissions ninety five times lower than the state-based emissions factor for fugitive methane in NSW.
We also highlighted that the mine has no clear plan to address methane emissions, and is yet to assess the potential that significant increases in mining depth could lead to greater emissions releases in the future.
This oversight is particularly alarming given the importance of all sectors to contribute to meeting Australia’s state and Federal Net Zero targets, the Global Methane Pledge, and the global imperative to reduce methane emissions due to their dual impact on increased surface ozone and rapidly warming the global climate.
Specifically, Ember’s submission highlights that:
- Direct Fugitive Emissions Calculations are 95x lower than NSW Method 1 guidance
- Projected Scope 1 emissions could be 9 million tonnes higher
- Direct emissions monitoring will likely be widespread before the Modification begins
- There is no current assessment of how methane emissions may increase with depth
- There are insufficient measures to manage Fugitive Emissions into the future