Risky Millions: Whitehaven’s methane potential

Ember's analysis indicates that Whitehaven Coal Limited could release over 1.2 million tonnes of methane by 2050, with emissions potentially doubling by 2030 due to planned expansions. The report highlights severe discrepancies in reporting, noting that the Narrabri mine's actual emissions have been nearly five times higher than final EIS estimates. Ember argues that Whitehaven's use of internal emission factors for open-cut mines—which are often significantly lower than Australian averages—leads to underreporting. The report recommends third-party verification, improved transparency, and a 75% reduction in portfolio-wide methane emissions by 2030 to align with 1.5 degree pathways.

• Whitehaven's coal mining operations are projected to release more than 1.2 million tonnes of methane between now and 2050.
• The company's annual fugitive methane emissions are on track to double by 2030 as it ramps up coal mining production.
• Actual methane emissions at the Narrabri underground mine have been reported as nearly five times higher than the estimates provided in the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
• Methane intensity estimates for the Maules Creek and Vickery Expansion Project are nearly 200 times lower than expected for coal mines at similar depths in Australia.
• Due to inadequate measurement methods and reporting gaps, total methane emissions for Whitehaven's portfolio could be up to 6 million tonnes by 2050, according to Global Energy Monitor (GEM) estimates.
• Whitehaven lacks a company-wide decarbonisation plan or mitigation targets and has stated it is not 'feasible' to mitigate methane emissions at the proposed Winchester South mine.

APA

Ember (2023). Risky Millions: Whitehaven’s methane potential. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/whitehavens-methane-potential

Chicago

Ember. Risky Millions: Whitehaven’s methane potential. 2023. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/whitehavens-methane-potential.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Risky Millions: Whitehaven’s methane potential |date=17 October 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/whitehavens-methane-potential |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2023risky, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Risky Millions: Whitehaven’s methane potential}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/whitehavens-methane-potential}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }