'Green' power plant drives mine | The Courier-Mail

'Green' power plant drives mine
A NEW $43 million gas-fired power station in central Queensland will cut greenhouse gas emissions in the area by the equivalent of 250,000 cars.
Anglo Coal Australia's power station at its German Creek mine, near Middlemount, opened yesterday.
It uses gas extracted from the coal seam to provide 32 megawatts of energy for its mining as well as supplying into the national grid.
The station can power a town the size of Moranbah – about 8000 homes.
Chief executive officer Neville Snedden said the older German Creek and the new Grasstree mines previously used power from the national electricity grid.
Coal seam methane has to be removed from underground before mining operations start to provide a safe working environment.
"It's an area where we can make a significant difference to the amount of greenhouse gas we discharge," Mr Snedden said.
"It's going from something that's a waste product to something that is valuable.
"The coalmining industry has to be seen as the solution to some of these (climate change) problems, not as the problem."
Anglo is working with Brisbane-based Energy Developments Ltd (EDL) – which designed and built the German Creek power station – on a similar project at its Moranbah mine.
It already runs a gas power station at its Dawson mine, which is undergoing a $1.3 billion expansion.
EDL managing director Chris Laurie said the German Creek project was supported by a $15 million federal government grant.