Central Coast CMWM Power Generation Project (Revoked)

The Central Coast CMWM Power Generation Project (Revoked) was a Coal Mine Waste Gas (CMWG) project located in the Jilliby region of the New South Wales Central Coast, approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Wyong. Registered in April 2016 and subsequently revoked in September 2019, the project was situated within the Jilliby State Conservation Area or adjacent state forests. This region is characterized by a mix of forestry, conservation, and rural land uses, sitting above the extensive underground workings of the Mandalong Mine coal seams. The area experiences a warm temperate climate with high rainfall (typically over 1,000mm annually) and features soils derived from sedimentary landscapes, predominantly clays and sandy loams.

The project operated under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Coal Mine Waste Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology credits the capture and combustion of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, released during coal mining operations. Specifically, the project intended to install electricity production devices to capture fugitive methane from the mine's waste gas and convert it into energy. This process generates abatement by converting methane into less harmful carbon dioxide and by displacing electricity that would otherwise be drawn from the grid (which, in NSW, is largely fossil-fuel-based).

The proponent, Our Energy Group Pty Limited, held a carbon abatement contract awarded in November 2016 to deliver 643,000 tonnes of abatement over seven years. However, the project failed to proceed to successful delivery. The contract was terminated or lapsed in May 2019, and the project was formally revoked under the CFI Rule in September 2019. The revocation and contract failure suggest the project encountered significant commercial, technical, or land-access challenges preventing the installation of the proposed generation infrastructure.