| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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Dendrobium Coal Mine is a cancelled coal mine in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Dendrobium Coal Mine | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | -34.419776, 150.826135 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled[1] | Pre-Permit | Extension | 2026 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Underground | Longwall | – | 350.0 | – |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Southern | Bituminous | Met | Steel Plant |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Gear M Illawarra Met Coal Pty Ltd(GM-3)[2] | PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa Tbk [54.2%]; M Resources Pty Ltd [30.0%]; small shareholder(s) [15.8%] | Australia |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | 4.57[3] | 3.69[4] | 4.68[4] | 4.91[5] | 4.58[5] | 3.44[6] | 4.59[6] | – | – |
Reported Methane Emissions Data
Global Energy Monitor collates facility-scale methane emissions data reported by government and company sources collected in a systematic fashion. This mine is associated with the following methane emissions reports:
Table 7: Methane emissions
| Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CO2 equivalent) | Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CH4) | Year of Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions | Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes) Reference | Reference type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.033 | 832.724 | 2024-25 | [7] | national government data |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Dendrobium mine is an existing underground coal mine owned and operated by Illawarra Coal, a subsidiary of South32. The mines lies near Wollongong, in New South Wales, Australia.
Illawarra Coal intends to extend operations to keep the mine open until 2048.[8] At present the mine has consents to run until 2030.[9] But the project was cancelled after South32 abandoned the project.[10] The mine began operations in 2002.[8] Since the original application approval the Dendrobium development consent has been modified seven times.[11]
In 2015 there was an investigation into the Dendrobium mine which found that the impacts of longwall mining on one tributary to Wongawilli Creek were greater than had been predicted. As a result, the Department required Illawarra Coal to provide the Department with a remediation plan for the tributary, to be prepared in consultation with WaterNSW.[12]
South32 is a demerged subsidiary of BHP founded in 2016.[13]
BHP Billiton (of which South32 is a demerged subsidiary) stated that Dendrobium "is approved to produce up to 5.2 million tonnes of coking coal per annum with an expected mine life in excess of 20 years." The Bluescope Steel Port Kembla Steelworks and the Whyalla Steelworks "are the major customers. In addition to these Australian based customers; coal is exported via the Port Kembla Coal Terminal to international customers."[14]
- Sponsor: Illawarra Coal[15]
- Parent Company: South32[15]
- Location: 15 kilometres west of Wollongong[11]
- GPS Coordinates: -34.419776, 150.826135 (exact)
- Status: Operational[15]
- Production Capacity: 5.2 million tonnes per annum[11]
- Total Resource: 446 million tonnes[16]
- Mineable Reserves: 45 million tonnes (as of 2014)[17] or 92 Mt [18]
- Coal type: Coking coal
- Mine Size:
- Mine Type: Longwall mining and conventional underground mining[11]
- Mine Depth: 350 m[19]
- Start Year: 2002[20]
- Source of Financing:
Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources
Global Energy Monitor researchers have identified coal mine boundary/boundaries and potential sources of coal mine methane (CMM) for this mine. These research results can be used to drive CMM attribution and mitigation efforts, particularly when combined with remotely sensed methane plume locations and mine ownership data. Explore the results with the embedded map at the top of this page by clicking on the mine boundary polygon or the CMM placemarkers to reveal more details. A detailed description of this research can be found in Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources. This data is also available as a downloadable companion dataset to the Global Coal Mine Tracker and the Global Methane Emitters Tracker.
Table SMP1: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data
| ID | Mine feature category | Mine feature subcategory | Description | Coordinates precision | Data source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M0034.B1 | mine boundary | underground | Dendrobium coal mine boundary | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P1 | ventilation system | shaft | Dendrobium No.1 ventilation shaft | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P2 | other | mine entrance or exit | Dendrobium tunnel portal | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P3 | ventilation system | shaft | ventilation shaft 3 (upcast) | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P4 | ventilation system | shaft | Ventilation shaft 2 (downcast) | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P5 | degasification system | flare | Flare stack | extracted | 2024-09-27 00:00:00 |
| M0034.P6 | other | slope access or production shaft | mine production slope | extracted | 2025-03-01 00:00:00 |
Table SMP2: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data (continued)
| ID | Notes |
|---|---|
| M0034.B1 | The boundary is the 'Dendrobium Mine Mining Areas' shown in Plan 1: Location of Mining Domain, page 121 of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. |
| M0034.P1 | Location extracted from page 125: Plan 5 Site Layout - No. 1 Ventilation Shaft of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. Visually confirmed with Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 3/2025. |
| M0034.P2 | Location extracted from page 123: Plan 3 Site Layout - Dendrobium Mine Pit Top of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. Visually confirmed with Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 3/2025. |
| M0034.P3 | Location extracted from page 126: Plan 6: Site Layout - No. 2 and 3 Ventilation Shaft of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. Visually confirmed with Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 3/2025. |
| M0034.P4 | Location extracted from page 126: Plan 6: Site Layout - No. 2 and 3 Ventilation Shaft of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. Visually confirmed with Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 3/2025. |
| M0034.P5 | Location extracted from page 126: Plan 6: Site Layout - No. 2 and 3 Ventilation Shaft of the Dendrobium Mine and Cordeaux Colliery Annual Review FY24, https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dendrobium-Mine-and-Cordeaux-Colliery-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf, 27 September 2024. Visually confirmed with Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 3/2025. |
| M0034.P6 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ https://www.mining-technology.com/news/south32-abandons-dendrobium-expansion/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://gm3.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Appin-Mine-Annual-Review-FY24-1.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.south32.net/docs/default-source/operations/illawarra/dendrobium/reporting-documents/annual-reviews/dendrobium-and-cordeaux-annual-report-fy17.pdf?sfvrsn=5cfee253_1.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 (PDF) https://www.south32.net/docs/default-source/operations/illawarra/dendrobium/reporting-documents/annual-reviews/dendrobium-mine-and-cordeaux-colliery-annual-review-fy19.pdf?sfvrsn=d902740d_5.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 (PDF) https://www.south32.net/docs/default-source/operations/illawarra/dendrobium/reporting-documents/annual-reviews/dendrobium-mine-and-cordeaux-colliery-annual-review-fy21.pdf?sfvrsn=5a407bfc_1.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 (PDF) https://www.south32.net/docs/default-source/operations/illawarra/dendrobium/reporting-documents/annual-reviews/dendrobium-mine-and-cordeaux-colliery-annual-review-fy23.pdf?sfvrsn=a1cb0cfb_1.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://cer.gov.au/document/baselines-and-emissions-table-2024-25-0.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 South32, "Dendrobium Mine Extension",South 32 website, accessed 20 December 2019.
- ↑ Australian Government, "Coal", Bioregional Assessments website, 21 January 2019.
- ↑ South32 abandons $700m Dendrobium mine expansion project, Mining Technology, August 23, 2022
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 New South Wales Government, "Dendrobium Coal Mine Surface Electrical Supply Upgrade Modification", page 1, Planning and Environment, 2018.
- ↑ NSW Government, "Investigation report into Dendrobium Mine released", NSW Government website, 16 December 2015.
- ↑ Ewen Hosie, "South32 expects Dendrobium report by Q1 2018, Appin enters restart phase two", Australian Mining, 6 December 2017.
- ↑ Illawarra Coal, "Dendrobium mine", page 2, BHP Billiton, May 2010.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfuture - ↑ Mining Data Online "Dendrobium Mine", MDO website, 30 June 2018.
- ↑ "Current Activity and Tenements: Coal," "Australian Government: Bioregional Assessments," accessed June 2020.
- ↑ Form 20F SEC, accessed November 2020
- ↑ South 32, Mine Plan, accessed September 2020
- ↑ "DENDROBIUM," "MiningLink," accessed June 2020.
