Australia’s position at the forefront of the global scale-up of CCUS technologies has been reinforced with the announcement of two new greenhouse gas permits in WA and the NT, according to Australia’s leading Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) research organisation CO2CRC.
The organisation welcomed the award of two further new greenhouse gas permits in WA and the NT, saying CCUS is necessary to enable Australia’s transition to a lower emissions future.
Following Resources Minister Madeleine King announcement two weeks ago on the approval of the first two new offshore greenhouse gas storage sites since 2014, two more permits have been awarded.
The permits were granted to the joint ventures between Santos and Chevron in the Carnarvon Basin, and Santos, Chevron and SK E&S in the Bonaparte Basin, with Santos and Chevron both members of CO2CRC.
Dr Matthias Raab, Chief Executive CO2CRC, said CCUS must be part of the solution for the Albanese Government’s target of 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030.
“CCUS is a proven, safe, large-scale emission reduction technology that will enable Australia’s industry to transition to a low emissions future,” Dr Raab said.
“CCUS is a very significant option for certain industries to drive down their emissions permanently and immediately at a competitive cost. CCUS is acknowledged by the government to have a substantial role to play in driving Australia towards a lower emissions future.
“Australia is well positioned to be at the forefront of the global scale-up of CCUS technologies. It has some of the world’s best deep sedimentary basins in which to store carbon dioxide, an internationally recognised resources industry, ready access to the latest CCUS technologies, expertise, and globally renowned researchers.
“Industrial scale CCS projects already reduce significant amounts of carbon emissions around the globe. By 2024, Australia will have two of the largest CCS projects in the world, the Chevron-led Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia, which has permanently removed and stored underground, four million tonnes of carbon dioxide since August 2019, and Santos’ Moomba CCS Project that will store 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year” he said.
“Geological storage of carbon dioxide allows emission abatement at scale. It is immediate and permanent, and we are building technology for very large emission reductions.
“CO2CRC congratulates its industry member companies Santos and Chevron on the award of the Greenhouse Gas Permits and looks forward to the continuing delivery of CCUS technology solutions to contribute to Australia’s successful energy transition and deliver on our emissions commitments.” he said.
CO2CRC operates the Otway International Test Centre in southwest Victoria, where it has safely and permanently stored and monitored carbon dioxide in a variety of rock formations for more than a decade. The research is done in collaboration with leading national and international researchers alongside industry partners to accelerate commercial technology solutions.
CO2CRC is also playing an important role in other low emissions technology solutions. An initial Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) study, co-led by CO2CRC and CSIRO, has investigated key technical issues, including fundamental hydrogen storage processes, hydrogen withdrawal effectiveness and integration of UHS with hydrogen production and downstream distribution.
UHS in geological formations can provide the necessary capacity to balance seasonal fluctuations in supply and demand and provide continuity in renewable energy supply.
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For more information please contact:
Roy Anderson, CO2CRC Strategic Partnerships Manager on 03 8595 9624 or roy.anderson@co2crc.com.au