State agencies want zero net carbon emissions from Australia’s huge LNG plant

Australian state agencies have endorsed plans to extend the life of Australia’s largest liquefied natural gas plant by 50 years as long as it achieves net zero carbon emissions over the remaining 10 years. This is to protect the ancient indigenous rock art.

Woodside Energy Group, Environmental Group, and other stakeholders, who operate the Northwest Shelf LNG Plant, have three weeks to appeal the recommendations of the Western Australia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The state’s Minister of the Environment will then make the final decision on whether to approve the extension of the life of the plant jointly owned by Woodside, BP plc, Chevron Corp, Shell Plc, and MC and Mitsui. .. & Co.

The Environment Agency needs to reduce, reduce, or offset all carbon dioxide emissions by 2029 and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in order to protect Murjuga indigenous rock art from industrial pollution. Recommended to have.

“EPA believes there may be a serious or irreversible threat to rock art from industrial atmospheric emissions … Accelerates natural weathering,” EPA evaluates its lifespan plan. I said in.

Woodside said it would carefully consider the conditions outlined by the EPA.

“With growing concerns about energy security, the NWS project is playing an important role in supplying natural gas to domestic and international customers and providing energy that can support decarbonization efforts. “Fiona Hick, Woodside’s Vice President of Australia Business, said: statement.

Woodside achieves net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by reducing plant emissions by 246 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2-e), among other measures. I am proposing to do it. Purchasing carbon credits partially offsets emissions, resulting in a net reduction of 138.85 MtCO2-e.

The EPA stated that the recommended conditions up to 2029 would reduce these emissions from 138.85 MtCO2-e to 128.2 MtCO2-e over a 50-year lifespan.

Protecting the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Murjuga rock art is a top priority after Rio Tinto destroys an ancient indigenous cave at an iron ore mine in Western Australia.

The EPA points out that there was contradictory scientific research on whether industrial emissions from the Burlap Peninsula damaged rock art, and expects the results of a state-specific surveillance program in 2023.

(Report by Reuters-Sonari Paul, edited by Simon Cameron Moore)