Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem

Australia's coal mines are a major source of methane, with evidence suggesting official reports significantly underestimate the actual emissions. The report highlights that a small number of 'super-emitter' mines contribute a disproportionate amount of emissions and warns that proposed new coal projects will further increase these levels. It advocates for a transition to direct measurement over emission factors, the adoption of ventilation air methane (VAM) abatement technologies, and the phasing out of coal, particularly the gassiest mines, to meet climate targets.

• Coal mine methane (CMM) is the primary source of methane emissions in Australia's energy sector. In 2019, coal mines released 68% of the energy industry's total methane emissions, which is nearly three times the amount released by the oil and gas industry.
• Official government estimates of CMM are likely inaccurate due to the use of standardised emission factors for surface mines, which do not account for variations in gas content between coal seams. The IEA estimated that Australian coal mines emitted 1.8 million tonnes of methane in 2021, which is double the officially reported figures.
• Methane emissions are highly concentrated among a few 'super-emitter' mines. In Queensland, two mines (Capcoal and Moranbah North) accounted for approximately 29% of reported coal mining emissions in 2019 despite producing only 6% of the state's net coal output. In New South Wales, the Appin and Tahmoor underground mines emitted 24% of reported coal emissions while producing less than 3% of the state's coal.
• Proposed coal mine expansions and new projects are expected to significantly increase emissions. In Queensland, 34 plausible proposed projects could result in at least 855.8 million tonnes of CO2-e, more than doubling the current annual scope 1 and 2 emissions of the state's coal industry.
• Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) is the largest contributor to CMM emissions, representing approximately 75% of underground mining emissions. Technologies developed by CSIRO, such as VAMMIT, VAMCAT, and VAMCAP, can oxidise an average of 96% of VAM methane, potentially reducing Australia's methane emissions by about 45% (420 kt).
• The most effective strategy for reducing CMM is the phase-out of coal, specifically targeting the gassiest mines first. Retiring the gassiest 25% of Australian coal would remove over 22 million tonnes of CO2-e emissions, which is 68% of the Scope 1 emissions reported to the CER in 2019.

APA

Assan, S. (2022). Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Tackling-Australias-Coal-Mine-Methane-Problem-v10.22.pdf

Chicago

Assan, Sabina. Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem. Ember, 2022. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Tackling-Australias-Coal-Mine-Methane-Problem-v10.22.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Assan |first1=Sabina |title=Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem |publisher=Ember |date=8 June 2022 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Tackling-Australias-Coal-Mine-Methane-Problem-v10.22.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{assan2022tackling, author = {Assan, Sabina}, title = {{Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Tackling-Australias-Coal-Mine-Methane-Problem-v10.22.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }