The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) has welcomed the announcement by the Minerals Council of Australia for the establishment of an industry-led Leadership Roundtable for the development of low emissions technologies for fossil fuels.
CO2CRC CEO Dr Richard Aldous said the industry-led group would help Australia meet the challenges associated with fossil fuel emissions.
“It is in Australia’s – and the world’s – best interests that we adopt a pragmatic and coordinated approach across the coal, oil and gas, and power generation industries, research bodies, government and peak bodies to further develop low emissions technologies, mitigate climate change and deliver global energy security without damaging individual economies,” Dr Aldous said.
“As one of the highest emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) per capita in the developed world, Australia’s response to climate change must embrace and advance technologies that limit, or prevent, carbon emissions from fossil fuel use.”
The role of the roundtable – which will be chaired by Mr Stewart Butel, Managing Director of Wesfarmers Resources Limited, Chair of COAL21 and a Director of the Minerals Council of Australia – will be to share information on relevant low emission technology activities across Australia and overseas and to identify potential new studies and activities that could address current gaps and future needs, including technologies for high efficiency/lower emission generation, fugitive emission abatement and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Dr Aldous said CO2CRC will work with the roundtable to advance the CCS technology, which is the only available method of making significant cuts to emissions from fossil fuel-powered energy generation and large industrial processes.
“I am delighted that, even during the current period of policy uncertainty and budgetary constraints, government and industry continue to support ongoing innovation, cooperation, knowledge sharing, debate and collaboration to further enhance low emissions technologies, including CCS,” he said.
“We look forward to working with the Roundtable to build on Australia’s low emissions technology achievements, including through the application of valuable lessons learned from other Australian Flagship and demonstration CCS projects, such as CarbonNet and the CO2CRC Otway Project in Victoria, the Callide Oxyfuel Project in Queensland, and WA’s Gorgon Joint Venture and the South West Hub projects.”
A significant effort will go into the globally recognised CO2CRC Otway Project to progress sophisticated seismic monitoring techniques and to demonstrate that CO2 can be safely stored, monitored and stabilised in deep saline rock formations.
