Appin and Tower

EDL pioneered the collection and conversion of waste coal mine gas (WCMG) to renewable power using reciprocating engines at our 85.5MW Appin and Tower Power Stations.

At a glance

  • Project name:

    Appin and Tower

  • Owner, operator:

    EDL

  • Start of operation:

    1996

  • Location:

    Appin, New South Wales, Australia

  • Generating capacity:
    85.5 MW
  • Primary fuel:

    Waste Coal Mine Gas

About the Appin and Tower Power Stations

In a world first, EDL developed the largest WCMG power station at Appin that captured drained WCMG and also directly used a portion of the methane present as combustion air in the generator sets, further reducing the mine’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

WCMG is a naturally occurring gas that is often released in large amounts during coal mining. Fugitive emissions from coal mines account for about 5% of Australia’s GHG emissions. Further, these gases pose a major safety hazard in underground mines.

At GM3’s Appin Mine located at the Southern Coal fields in NSW, EDL is applying our expertise in low calorific fuels to capture and combust WCMG, which is 28 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.

The power stations generate approximately 350 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually, which is enough to power approximately 60,000 homes.