Eliminating Coal
After 50 years, the coal boiler at our Carole Park facility in Queensland, Australia was shut down on March 12, 2022. In its place are two new natural gas boilers, an investment of $3.3 million (AUD). Eliminating the use of coal in our operations is a major step toward James Hardie’s goal of building better energy systems in our facilities.
This energy-efficiency project highlights our move away from coal and its environmental impacts. The gas boilers are expected to achieve a 65% reduction in scope 1+2 GHGs (greenhouse gases) versus the previous coal boilers along with a reduction of overall site GHG emissions.
The new boilers are part of the plant’s expansion and provide greater reliability while requiring less water and energy. Another benefit is a reduction in contaminants discharged in the site’s wastewater. The boilers also generate more consistent energy output, resulting in improved autoclave operations.
In our Asia Pacific region we are now coal free with the installation of new gas boilers in Australia. Asia Pacific joins our North American region as a coal-free region as we continue our commitment to transition away from coal.
