August 25, 2026
- Australia will host a world-first research facility to deliver the SIMFLEX-COAL project. The project is designed to test the capabilities of a range of atmospheric measurement technologies to improve how methane emissions from open-cut coal mines are detected and measured.
- FEnEx CRC will undertake the project in collaboration with research partners from St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and Stanford University in the United States, building the capability to continue this type of testing following the project’s completion.
- The facility will test how accurately methane measurement technologies can detect, locate and measure emissions under realistic conditions.
The project receives funding from the Australian Government through the United Nations Environment Programme.
Methane from open-cut coal mines can be difficult to measure because emissions may come from multiple sources and are affected by many factors including the effects of wind and geography.
This new facility will recreate some representative real-world conditions in a controlled setting, allowing researchers to release known amounts of methane and assess how accurately different technologies detect, locate and measure emissions. Technologies tested through the project may include ground , vehicle, drones, aircraft and satellite-based sensors.
The research will help government and industry better understand, estimate and manage open-cut coal mine methane emissions.
FEnEx CRC Chief Executive Officer Professor Eric May said the facility established through the project would provide Australian and international researchers with an enduring platform for methane research and technology development.
“This project gives Australia a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the world’s most important methane measurement challenges,” Professor May said.
“It will give Australia a unique capability to better understand fugitive methane emissions from coal, strengthen our contribution to important international research, and help build the evidence base needed to improve methane monitoring and reporting.
“A clearer understanding of where emissions are coming from will help industry target practical action more effectively,” Professor May said.
Once operational, the facility will support technology testing, training, research and development, and collaboration among government, industry and research organisations.
Site selection is underway, and three controlled release campaigns are planned, with the first campaign expected in early 2027. FEnEx CRC will take an increasing role in operating the facility and running the controlled release tests, with ownership of the facility expected to transfer to FEnEx CRC at the end of the project.
The project is funded by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), with support from the Australian Government).
Media contact: FEnEx CRC: Managing Director and CEO Eric May Eric.May@fenex.org.au | +61 8 6488 2954
About FEnEx CRC
The Future Energy Exports Cooperative Research Centre (FEnEx CRC) is a $163 million collaborative research organisation established in 2020. With 49 partners from industry, government, and universities, FEnEx CRC executes cutting-edge, industry-led research, education, and training to help decarbonise Australia’s gas and LNG production while building the capacity to export clean hydrogen.
FEnEx CRC research is supported by a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources through the CRC program. More at www.fenex.org.au.
About SIMFLEX-COAL
The SIMFLEX-COAL project (Simulation Facilities for Large-Scale Emission Experiments – COAL) receives funding from the Australian Government through an agreement with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). In December 2025, the project was awarded to a collaboration between St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and Stanford University in the United States, which host the world’s leading active research groups in controlled releases of methane. In March 2026, FEnEx CRC was confirmed as the project’s Australian Partner.