GE Energy’s largest ecomagination™-certified coal mine methane (CMM) power plant in Australia has been commissioned ahead of schedule as more mining companies seek to utilise their mine gas to create electricity for local uses and reduce their site emissions.
The methane-rich mine gas is being used to generate onsite power at Anglo Coal’s Moranbah North mine in the state of Queensland, helping to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas that can escape into the atmosphere.
Through the capture and utilisation of mine gas, the Moranbah North project will deliver significant environmental benefits, saving up to about 1.5 million t of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents per year. The 15-engine, 45.6MW power plant, contracted by Energy Developments, is designed to contribute to the country’s energy development goals and is accredited under the New South Wales Government Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme.
Australia’s coal industry is focusing on reducing coal mine methane emissions because methane has 21 times the greenhouse-warming potential of carbon dioxide, the gas most closely associated with climate change. As a result, Australia has one of the world’s most commercially advanced coal mine methane gas industries, according to the Australian Coal Association.
GE has supplied its Jenbacher engines for several of Australia’s largest coal mine methane projects, demonstrating the environmental benefits and reliability of the engines as well as their crucial ability to adjust to the mine gas’ fluctuating quality levels.
“This project further demonstrates the commitment by carbon abatement companies like Energy Developments, in conjunction with the Australian coal mining industry, to leverage advanced technology such as GE’s Jenbacher gas engines as part of the turnkey model delivered by Clarke Energy, to utilise an available source of energy while helping to reduce our mining operations’ environmental impacts,” said Greg Pritchard, managing director of Energy Developments.
Energy Developments installed the 3MW gas engine units at the Moranbah North mine in Queensland, 1,117km north of Brisbane. Anglo Coal is one of Australia’s largest coal producers. Energy Developments will be selling the plant’s 45.6MW output to the national grid.
GE’s Jenbacher units were installed as part of the project’s total turnkey award with Clarke Energy Australia, a subsidiary of Clarke Energy Group, GE’s longtime Jenbacher authorised distributor in the UK. The overall power station design, balance of the plant, SCAD controls and turnkey construction were provided by Clarke Energy Australia.
“We are very excited about our largest single project involving GE’s coal mine gas engines in Australia,” said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy’s Jenbacher gas engine business. “For GE, this project demonstrates that customers recognise the value gained from using high-tech, cost-effective gas engines for power generation. For the country overall, the project represents another bold effort to help Australia aggressively curtail its greenhouse gas emissions levels.”
GE’s Jenbacher coal mine gas engines are increasingly popular in coal-producing countries, including Australia, China and throughout Europe, where customers are attracted by GE’s durable, cost-effective technology that utilises existing mine gas to generate power, lowers the mines’ industrial emissions levels and makes their operating costs more predictable.
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