German Creek

EDL owns and operates the 45MW German Creek Power Station, which captures and combusts waste coal mine gas and converts it to electricity for the national electricity market.

At a glance

  • Project name:

    German Creek Power Station

  • Owner, operator:

    EDL

  • Start of operation:

    2006

  • Location:

    Near Middlemount, Central Queensland, Australia

  • Generating capacity:
    38 MW
  • Primary fuel:

    WCMG

  • Electricity generated:

    ~116 GWh p.a.

  • Equivalent homes powered:

    ~21,200 p.a.

  • Avoided emissions:

    ~93,580 tonnes CO2–e p.a.

  • Equivalent cars off the road:

    ~31,000 p.a.

  • *Data sourced from:

    CY23

About the WCMG power station

EDL pioneered the process of capturing and converting waste coal mine gas (WCMG) generated during coal mining in Australia.

WCMG is produced during coal mining as methane gas trapped in coal seams is released. As this product can be a safety hazard and a challenge to mining operations, it is extracted by mine ventilation and coal seam drainage.

Historically a waste product that is vented or flared, the extracted methane is used by EDL as a power generation fuel—displacing grid electricity and delivering reliable, and affordable energy which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The power station consists of sixteen 2MW power generation modules using Caterpillar 3520C generator sets and four 3.3MW power generating modules using Jenbacher J620 generator sets.