Ambre Energy (Felton) Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambre Energy Limited and the proponent for a mine and dimethyl ether (methoxymethane) pilot plant project called by the proponent the Felton Clean Coal Demonstration Project. The site is located near Felton, approximately 30km south west of Toowoomba and 10km south east of Pittsworth. The project would be on Lot 1 AG2394, Lot 2 RP54975, Lot 91 RP21324, Lot 94 RP21324, Lot 1 RP 197372, and the Pittsworth Felton Road.
The proponent proposes to operate an open cut mine and a dimethyl ether (DME) pilot plant to produce syngas for the production of 455 tonnes per day of DME and the co-generation of electricity. The project site is located within Exploration Permit (Coal) lease EPC935 on two areas subject to mining lease applications: MLA50245 and MLA50246. A third mining lease is proposed within EPC935 to the south of MLA50246 at sometime in the future. The site is also subject to Exploration Permit (Petroleum) 791.
The mine for this project would be developed in two stages: the initial stage would involve the extraction of 800,000 tonnes a year of coal with the second stage expanding to 3.8 million tonnes a year.
The proponent applied for, and has been granted, approval to prepare a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. The EIS will cover both the initial stage of the mine and the proposed expansion to 3.8 million tonnes a year. It will also cover the DME pilot plant and co-generation of electricity at the site.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
The project is a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The State's EIS process has been accredited for the assessment under Part 8 of the EPBC Act in accordance with the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland. The controlling provisions are sections 18 and 18A (Listed threatened species and communities).