Inpex Hit with Emissions Breach Charges Over Ichthys LNG Plant
The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA) has taken Japanese energy giant Inpex to court over alleged licence breaches at its Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant near Darwin, Australia.
The charges cover the under-reporting of benzene and toluene emissions between 2019 and 2024. The NT EPA requires regular annual reports from Inpex on total air emissions as part of its environmental licence.
In October, Inpex disclosed significant under-reporting of emissions at the plant, prompting a regulatory review of operations at both Ichthys LNG and Santos' Darwin LNG facilities.
The review made 23 recommendations for tougher rules at both LNG facilities, including the installation of continuous emissions monitoring equipment at major emission sources. The regulator will draft amendments to existing licences this month reflecting these changes.