Oaky Creek 2 Waste Coal Mine Gas Power Station

Oaky Creek 2 Waste Coal Mine Gas Power Station is a fugitive emissions project located at the Oaky Creek Coal Mine, approximately 17km east-southeast of the town of Tieri in Central Queensland. Registered in July 2015, the project operates within the Bowen Basin, a region heavily defined by major coal mining operations and cattle grazing. The site lies roughly 300km west of Rockhampton and over 100km northeast of the regional hub of Emerald.

This project operates under the Coal Mine Waste Gas methodology, specifically focusing on displacement electricity production. The primary activity involves capturing methane-rich gas, a potent greenhouse gas released during coal extraction, that would otherwise be vented into the atmosphere or flared. This captured gas is used to fuel five GE Jenbacher reciprocating engines with a combined capacity of 15 MW. By generating electricity on-site, the project displaces the need for power from the grid, which often has a higher emissions intensity, thereby creating carbon abatement.

The environmental context of the Bowen Basin is characterized by a sub-tropical to semi-arid climate with a distinct summer rainfall peak (typically 500–600mm annually). The surrounding landscape features a mix of skeletal soils on ridges and cracking clay soils (Vertosols) in the lower-lying grazing areas, often associated with cleared brigalow scrub.

Notable details include the project's proponent, EDL (OCI) Pty Limited, which partners with the mine's majority owner, Glencore, to manage the waste gas. The Oaky Creek 2 station was commissioned in April 2016 and is capable of powering approximately 18,000 homes annually while avoiding roughly 80,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year. The project successfully completed a fixed delivery carbon abatement contract (CAC102443) with the Australian Government in 2018.