Ahead of the state election in October, the Queensland government says it is further investing in the mining industry through initiatives including a new gas-to-electricity power project, and funding programs to promote a circular economy in mining and critical minerals.
Through the $520 million Low Emissions Investment Partnership (LEIP) program, the Queensland Government is partnering with Kestrel Coal Resources to develop a coal mine waste gas-to-electricity project which it says will reduce mining emissions by more than 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over eight years.
The project will expand the underground mine’s drainage system to capture more fugitive gas, which in turn, prevents it from releasing into the atmosphere.
A 30-megawatt power station will also be built at the Kestrel Mine near Emerald in central Queensland, and will generate enough electricity to power more than 40,000 homes.
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick says the LEIP program is expediting opportunities to drive down emissions, while also supporting the state’s resources industry.
“Queensland’s metallurgical coal mining industry helps forge the steel that is necessary to build the renewable technologies and achieve a net zero transformation,” Dick says.
“Importantly, we’re protecting jobs in regional Queensland and supporting an industry that is crucial to our renewable energy future.”
Ahead of operations commencing in 2026, this project is also expected to create 160 jobs on top of the existing, 700 person workforce.
Meanwhile, the government says it is also giving the industry a further boost through the creation of a new partnership with the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Sustainable Minerals Institute.
The Critical Minerals and Circular Economy Research Alliance will oversee an $8 million research program to help identify, discover, and develop critical minerals.
Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart says the government wants to create a critical minerals industry to make renewable technologies such as solar panels and batteries.
“With our $315 million Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy we’re well on our way to achieving this dream ,but we can’t do it alone,” Stewart says.
UQ Vice Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC says the alliance will strengthen the university’s partnership with the Queensland Department of Resources on research that will support developing a robust, responsible, and sustainable critical minerals industry.
“We have a track record of working together on projects delivering tangible outcomes including an analysis of critical mineral recovery from mine waste at more than 35 sites which is being used to help recover the resources to fuel the energy transition,” she says.
The research projects will focus on creating a critical minerals circular economy, from mining resources to processing and manufacturing the renewable technologies Queensland needs.
Stewart says the research programs will help the industry go beyond digging up minerals, but create a “true circular economy model.”
“This is about setting up the next chapter in Queensland’s resources story in a way that is efficient, sustainable, and fair while securing the jobs of the future.”
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Queensland Resources Council
