Dragline 27 (DRE27) AC Upgrade at SWC Mine

Dragline 27 (DRE27) AC Upgrade at SWC Mine is an industrial energy efficiency project located at the South Walker Creek (SWC) Mine, approximately 35km west of Nebo in Queensland's Bowen Basin. The project was registered in October 2022. While the coordinates provided (-21.65, 149.85) point towards the coastal region near Sarina, the project name confirms the activity takes place at the South Walker Creek mine site, which sits further inland.

The project operates under the "Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction" (ICER) methodology. This framework credits abatement generated by reducing the energy intensity of industrial processes, in this case, by modifying or replacing emissions-producing equipment. Specifically, this project involves upgrading the dragline's motors and control systems from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC). AC systems are generally more efficient, require less maintenance, and offer better control, resulting in reduced electricity consumption per unit of overburden removed.

The South Walker Creek area is situated within a region characterized by open-cut coal mining and broad-scale cattle grazing. The environment is typical of the Brigalow Belt, featuring a semi-arid to tropical savanna climate with a distinct wet season (summer) and dry season (winter), receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 700mm. The soils in this region are predominantly cracking clays (Vertosols), often referred to as "black soils," which are fertile but can become difficult to traverse when wet.

An interesting aspect of this project is the history of the equipment involved. Dragline 27, a massive Marion 8050 excavator weighing over 3,000 tonnes, was famously walked 100km from the Goonyella Riverside Mine to South Walker Creek in 2017, a journey that took several months. The subsequent AC upgrade (retrofitting the 40-year-old machine) has been cited in industry reports as a significant life-extension project, improving productivity and offsetting thousands of tonnes of CO2 annually. The proponent, Stanmore SMC Pty Ltd, acquired the mine from BHP Mitsui Coal (BMC) in 2022.