A proposal which would power future BHP Nickel West operations on the Southern Cross Energy North (SCEN) network has been recommended for approval by the independent Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
The Mt Keith Power Station Capacity Expansion Project is for the construction and operation of up to 150 megawatts of new gas-reciprocating engines and associated infrastructure to supply electricity to the existing off-grid SCEN islanded power network owned and operated by Transalta.
The proposal is located at the existing Mt Keith nickel mine, 90km north of Leinster.
EPA Chair Darren Walsh said the proposed infrastructure would be within an existing laydown area at the Mt Keith mine site, negating the need for any clearing of vegetation.
“Over the last 15 months the EPA has considered the project’s potential impacts to terrestrial environmental quality, inland waters, air quality and social surroundings, however greenhouse gas was the key environmental factor during this assessment,” he said.
Late last year the State Government updated its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy for Major Projects, allowing significant proposals to be regulated under the Commonwealth’s Safeguard Mechanism and not by the State.
Mr Walsh said that this meant that in the case of the Mt Keith proposal, the EPA was of the view that emissions reductions required under the Safeguard Mechanism represented an as far as practicable reduction of the proposal’s scope 1 GHG emissions.
“The EPA recognises that the Commonwealth Safeguard Mechanism requires the proponent to take actions to reduce scope 1 GHG emissions through declining rates to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” he said.
“So we were able to conclude that the likely environmental effects of the proposal could be mitigated to achieve consistency with the EPA’s recently updated Environmental Factor Guideline: Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”
With scope 1 emission reductions proposed by the proponent to 2050, emission reduction actions regulated through the Safeguard Mechanism will mitigate approximately 2,400,334 t CO2-e of scope 1 emissions over the life of the proposal. The proposal will produce its own electricity on the proponent’s network and therefore there are no associated scope 2 emissions.
The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now open for a three-week public appeal period, closing 24 April 2025. Appeals should be directed to the Office of the Appeals Convenor. The Minister for Environment will make the final decision on the proposal. EPA Report 1780 can be found on the EPA website.
EPA Media Contact: Jenni.Storey@dwer.wa.gov.au; 0434 734 997
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