The largest expansion of coal production in Australia, plans to dig up more coal than any other new or expanded mine and mine coal until the year 2116.
BHP Mitsubishi’s Peak Downs Mine Continuation project proposes to mine an eyewatering 1.256 billion tonnes of coal over 91 years until the year 2116. The project is located on Baranda Barna country, near Moronbah in central Queensland’s Bowen Basin.
The project would produce a staggering 50 million tonnes of emissions each year from the burning of the coal it produces and 3.12 billion tonnes of climate pollution over its lifetime, seven times more pollution than the entire emissions of Australia in 2024 from all sources (440 MT). This does not include the direct emissions produced during the mining process, which mostly through the release of fugitive methane gas. The existing Peak Downs mine reported emitting 477,021 tonnes of CO2e last year, above its Safeguard Mechanism baseline of emissions limit of 473,498 t.
Peaks Downs fugitive emissions are likely to be much larger than what it reports. The International Energy Agency estimates that emissions of fugitive methane from open cut coal mines in Australia are likely to be up to 80% higher than what is reported to regulators. Peak Downs is one of the largest and most polluting open cut coal mines in the Bowen Basin, Australia’s top methane-emitting hotspot. Data from OpenMethane shows that 11 of Australia’s top twenty methane hotspots are in the Bowen Basin.
The Peak Downs Mine Continuation project seeks to expand the existing open cut pits of Peak Downs Mine into previously unmined areas. The expansion would clear thousands of hectares of land including areas of endangered Brigalow woodland and habitat for endangered koalas and greater gliders. Several sightings of koala and greater gliders on the site were recorded by surveys in areas planned to be cleared. (1)
BHP Mitsubishi is seeking approval from the Queensland state government currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement as part of the state assessment process, see documents here. The project will also require Federal environmental approval and has been referred for assessment under the EPBC Act, see documents here.
