Australia Approves Giant Coal Extension Despite Paris Commitments
Russia, Germany Add Diesel Supply as Fuel Market Scrambles for Barrels Felicity Bradstock is a writer and journalist based in Mexico City.
She writes for energy websites and covers several other industries, as well as writing… Australia has long been known for its strong coal industry, being one of the world’s largest producers and exporters.
While much of the world moves away from coal in favour of cleaner energy sources, Australia is doubling down on its coal production, with plans to extend the life of coal operations in New South Wales.
The New South Wales (NSW) Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved an extension at the largest coal mine project in the region’s history in September, allowing it to continue operations until 2045, extracting an estimated 429 million tonnes of coal across its North and South sites.
The Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) Continuation Project was approved following a contentious assessment that drew criticism from climate and environmental groups, unions, and state authorities.
Upon announcing project approval, the IPCsaidthat while the mine would “contribute to climate change impacts on the people, economy and environment of the Hunter region, NSW and globally,” its development was necessary.
The IPC stated the impacts have been “outweighed by its benefits to the Hunter region and NSW, including continued employment, economic activity, support for local business, ongoing royalties and taxation revenue”.
The project is also expected to “provide economic stability for the Hunter region and support a more orderly transition for workers, businesses and communities as the coal industry changes over time”, said the IPC.
HVO is thought to contribute over $1 billion annually to the economy.
The proposal was backed by Premier Chris Minns and Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos, as well as the NSW Coalition.
The IPC received over 10,000 public submissions, with around 60 per cent in favour of the project.
However, climate campaigners who oppose HVO have criticised the IPC’s greenlighting of the project, suggesting the decision is at odds with Australia’s commitments under the Paris climate agreement.
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