Dr. Matthias Raab, CEO CO2CRC (centre-left) and Dr. Bieng-Zih (Max) Hsieh, Professor of the Department of Resources Engineering, on behalf of NCKU (centre-right), sign the MOU on CCUS, 15 July, 2024.
Photo left to right: Dr. Max Watson (CO2CRC), Mr. Ray Ming-Tse LU (Director-General, Taipei Economic and Culture Office), Dr. Matthias Raab, (CEO, CO2CRC), Dr. Bieng-Zih (Max) Hsieh, (Professor of the Department of Resources Engineering, on behalf of NCKU), Professor Chung-Pai Chang (National Science and Technology Council), Luke Price (CO2CRC).
PRESS RELEASE STARTS
Australia’s leading carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) research organisation CO2CRC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University to advance collaboration on CCUS research and scale-up.
CO2CRC Chief Executive Dr Matthias Raab said the organisation looked forward to a long and productive relationship with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), one of the top academic research universities in Taiwan.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our era, but it is one that we will overcome with researchers, industry and governments working together in order to identify, test and deploy cutting edge technologies and globally relevant solutions,” Dr Raab said.
Dr. Bieng-Zih Hsieh, a Professor of the Department of Resources Engineering, on behalf of NCKU, said NCKU and CO2CRC recognise that collaboration between stakeholders all along the CCUS value chain is key to the commercialisation of CCUS technologies.
“Accelerated commercialisation will spur the global CCUS industry to grow and play its part in meeting the urgent need to achieve net zero emissions,” Prof. Hsieh said.
“Taiwan’s academic groups have conducted fruitful CO2 storage research in CO2 storage capacity and monitoring. Through the experts from CO2CRC and local partner GIE Energy Asia, we can have a unique and coherent international collaboration to help Taiwan build comprehensive skills for commercial CO2 geological storage,” Prof. Hsieh added.
The MoU reflects both organisations’ intent to promote cooperation in areas including conducting joint projects and activities in Taiwan, sharing relevant information and publications, and providing assistance in securing CCUS works in Taiwan.
CCUS has been acknowledged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and International Energy Agency as a set of essential climate change technologies.
In addition to being the only technology capable of decarbonising some existing industries (such as steel, cement, fertilisers, natural gas processing and others), CCUS also forms the basis of new energy industries, including clean hydrogen production, direct air capture, and carbon utilisation.
Dr Raab said this made CCUS a uniquely effective approach to addressing climate change, as it both sustains and creates employment and economic value.
“Collaboration with internationally respected industry, academic and government partners, enables CO2CRC to deliver innovative research, products and services designed to improve the cost-effectiveness and demonstrate the environmental integrity of CCUS technologies and methodologies.” Dr Raab said.
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About CO2CRC Limited
CO2CRC is Australia’s leading carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) research organisation. It owns and operates the Otway International Test Centre in Victoria, one of the most advanced field-scale CCUS research sites globally. Through collaboration with internationally respected industry, academic and government partners, CO2CRC delivers innovative research, products and services designed to improve the cost-effectiveness and demonstrate the environmental integrity of CCUS technologies and methodologies.
About National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) is one of the top academic research university in Taiwan. NCKU is best known for engineering, computer science, medicine, and design programs. It owns and operates the world’s first green educational centre as well as the first zero carbon building in Taiwan. NCKU is also a founding member of Taiwan Comprehensive University System, a strategic alliance of four leading research universities in the Southern Taiwan. The university is also a member of AACSB and IEET, and the only member from Taiwan in the Worldwide Universities Network. In 2020, the university announce NCKU Signature Program for Sustainable Development (SPSD) to optimize the application strategies of the oncampus resources of NCKU and to elevate its impacts to the level of solving global challenges with SD mindset for its strategy. NCKU has been a key player in Taiwan’s educational landscape and continues to excel in research and education.