CSIRO welcomes ‘Global Carbon Capture & Storage Institute’ initiative
Announcing the decision, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Centre would act as an international hub for co-ordinating public and private sector funding of carbon-capture and storage research projects, while also undertaking its own R&D projects.
CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Geoff Garrett, said the initiative could significantly reduce the timeframes currently projected to develop and deploy critical carbon-capture and storage technologies at commercial scale.
“We look forward to engaging with the Institute on research that will put Australia at the forefront of international efforts to develop carbon-capture and storage technologies – particularly those designed to capture emissions from coal-fired power plants and permanently store them deep underground,” Dr Garrett said.
The Government has recently established a National Low Emissions Coal Council (NLECC) which will play a key role in helping to deliver this new global initiative. CSIRO’s Group Executive, Energy and NLECC member Dr Beverley Ronalds, said that the world faces a major challenge to accelerate large-scale cuts of greenhouse gas emissions. “To address this challenge it is critical for Governments, industry, researchers and the community to work together. The global institute is a very timely and exciting proposal to facilitate a coordinated and cooperative response nationally and internationally.”
The Director of CSIRO’s Energy Transformed National Research Flagship, Dr John Wright, said the Flagship is working on range of clean-coal technologies. “About 80 per cent of the energy consumed in Australia is generated from large, coal-fired power stations,” he said. “It is critical that we find ways to make coal a cleaner energy source and we’re pleased to be working with industry to help find these solutions.”
The Flagship is currently working on ‘post-combustion-capture’ (PCC) pilot plants at the Loy Yang Power Station in Victoria, at Munmorah Power Station in NSW and the Tarong Power Station in Queensland. It is also a partner in the CO2CRC Otway Storage Pilot project in Victoria. Internationally, it is also collaborating with the China Huaneng Group and the Thermal Power Research Institute on a PCC pilot plant at the Goabeidian Power Station in Beijing.
“This latter project is extremely significant because it allows PCC technology to be progressed in the Chinese energy sector which is both a large and growing contributor to world greenhouse gas emissions and CSIRO’s participation in this project will therefore have a much greater impact than operating in Australia alone,” Dr Wright said.
CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.
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Fast facts
- CSIRO has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement today that it will spend A$100 million on establishing a ‘Global Institute’ in Australia to lead international efforts to reduce man-made greenhouse gas emissions
- The Government has recently established a National Low Emissions Coal Council (NLECC) which will play a key role in helping to deliver this new global initiative
- The Flagship is currently working on ‘post-combustion-capture’ (PCC) pilot plants at the Loy Yang Power Station in Victoria, at Munmorah Power Station in NSW and the Tarong Power Station in Queensland