Carbon Loop #004
More WA Funding, HPTIs LCGFPSs, Two Wrap Ups, and a Short Third Man
Hello and welcome to the The Carbon Loop - a newsletter by the CCUSNA dedicated to highlighting the Australian carbon capture, utilisation and storage industry.
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More CCUS Funding in WA ..
In Carbon Loop #003, we said congratulations to a few big CCUS players in Western Australia that had received $26M AUD of public grant funding to progress their major CCS Projects.
And now we have another round of funding to celebrate!
Congratulations to Biomass Projects, Yara Pilbara Fertilisers, CSIRO and Hazer Group, who have all received significant licks of funding to progress their CCUS Projects under the Lower Carbon Grant Program - Gorgon Fund.
Heck, congratulations to Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation for their grant as well - it’s not technically a CCUS Project, but who cares, it’s Christmas.
The LCGP is part of a wider $40M funding agreement between the WA Government and the Chevron-operated Gorgon Project, and is funded by the Chevron operated Gorgon Joint Venture. That funding also provides funding for the creation of the WA GreenTech Hub - which has also had a good few months lately.
Well done to all involved!
Multimillion-dollar kickstart to WA’s key decarbonisation projects
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Hydrogen Production Tax Incentives ..
It may be a bit late notice, but the Australian Senate is seeking submissions on the proposed hydrogen tax credit incentives bundled into the Future Made in Australia reforms.
Somewhat typically, the Feds seem to be focusing exclusively on renewably-powered electrolysis technologies (i.e. ‘green’ hydrogen) for these tax credits are have left out fossil-fuel-combined-with-carbon-capture technologies (i.e. ‘blue’ hydrogen). That’s based on my admittedly uninformed reading of the legislation — I could be wrong.
But if you’re suitably motivated you should make a submission because - um - well that’s how democracy works, I guess?
Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024
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The Importance of Taxonomies ..
Remember in the last issue where I spoke about the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy being proposed by the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute?
And I tried to explain how taxonomies work by providing a common framework for the usage of specific terms, so that we can all easily understand what it means when someone describes a product as ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ or whatever?
Well, this is an Australian audience, really I should have just linked to this image —
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Low-Carbon Gas-Fired Power Stations ..
In international news, Technip Energies (owners of the incredible domain name, ten.com) have been given the go-ahead on the Teesside Power CCS Project in the United Kingdom. TEN have an active presence in Australia and are already working on some significant clean energy projects here. Let’s hope they can help lead the CCUS frontier locally as well.
Some snips —
This landmark project aims to be the world’s first gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage. Up to 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year will be captured at the plant and transported and permanently stored by the Northern Endurance Partnership. The plant could produce up to 742 megawatts of flexible, low-carbon power, equivalent to the average annual electricity requirements of more than 1 million UK homes, further supporting the UK's transition to a cleaner energy future.
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Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) is a first-of-a-kind fully integrated gas-fired power and carbon capture project and a key driving force behind plans to make Teesside the UK’s first decarbonized industrial cluster. Once operational, Net Zero Teesside Power’s combined cycle gas turbine electricity generating station could produce up to 742 megawatts of flexible, dispatchable low-carbon power – equivalent to the average annual electricity requirements of more than 1 million UK homes.
Technip Energies and GE Vernova awarded a major contract for the Net Zero Teesside Power Project
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The 2024 CCUSNA Wrap Up ..
Not everyone that subscribes to the Carbon Loop is a member of the CCUSNA (which is completely fine!) but, given it’s the end of the year and all, we thought it might be a good idea to plug some of the things the CCUSNA has gotten up to in its first year of operations.
So sit back, knock the air-con up a few pips, and let’s reminisce about all the CCUSNA milestones that occurred in 2024.
Here is the email our Chair Rosie sent to wrap up the year:
CCUSNA has successfully completed its first year of operation, fostering innovation and collaboration across CCUS from emissions to storage.
Here are some key highlights from CCUSNA’s milestone year in 2024.
Formal Establishment: Registered as an association with an inaugural committee and growing membership. We extend our gratitude to all individual members and acknowledge the following corporate and affiliate entity members:
KC8 Capture Technology, Yara Pilbara, AGIG, Wood, Santos, MPC Kinetic, Mitsui E&P, SLB, Sustech, WesCEF, Xodus, CarbonNet, GeoVault, Pilot, InCapture, FEnEx CRC, Resman Tracers, Carbon CQ, Atteris, Department for Energy and Mining (South Australia), and the Gas and Energy Transition Research Centre (UQ).
Government Engagement: We have maintained regular discussions with state and federal government departments and ministers involved in CCUS to facilitate dialogue between members and decision-makers.
Active participation in the WA CCUS Action Plan workshops (JTSI) and the WA GHG Storage and Transport Regulations Working Group (DEMIRS).
Submissions to the Commonwealth Government (DCCEEW) on carbon leakage and cross-border CCS projects (risk-sharing models). Available to members on request.
Knowledge Sharing and Events
Carbon Loop Newsletter: Launched to provide updates and insights on CCUS developments.
Events and Webinars: our CCUS hosted events have aimed to highlight speakers whose work will give us valuable insights into the challenges of widespread CCUS roll out in Australia such as:
Webinar: "Learnings and Experiences from the CTSCo Project, QLD" – Nikki Accornero.
Webinar: "The European Union’s Net Zero Industry Act and Its Implications for Australia’s CCUS Value Chain" – Alice Evatt, Oxford University.
Technical Networking Event: "Liquid CO2 Import Facilities – Finding an Effective Solution" – Ross Weiter, Advisian
Collaboration and Networking
International Delegations: In May, we hosted the Korean CCUS Delegation for a full-day workshop.
Presentations and Forums: CCUSNA presented in multiple forums, including Young Energy Professionals, Kwinana Major Projects, Australian CCUS Conference, FEnEx Colloquium, AIEN (Association of International Energy Negotiators)
Building Connections: We continue to foster collaboration and share knowledge with members, sister organisations, and other industry bodies dedicated to advancing CCUS.
Membership Benefits. Membership with CCUSNA provides access to numerous opportunities, including:
Exclusive attendance at member-only events, webinars, and briefings.
Contribution to white papers and submissions to government.
Discounted tickets to CCUSNA and partner organisation events and conferences.
Participation in a dynamic network of specialists spanning the CCUS value chain.
For more information about membership, visit our website: ccusna.com.au
See you in 2025!
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That’s it for the first year of the Carbon Loop ..
And now, for my own mini wrap up.
The Carbon Loop is four issues in and has grown to over 400 subscribers. Our audience includes a diverse mix: representatives from Local, State, and Federal Government Departments (including a few elected officials), emitters, transporters, sequesterers, and utilisation .. ers. We have brilliant academics exploring new carbon management strategies, a handful of start-ups, and, as always, plenty of advisers. Together, we’re building a vibrant community of “carbon-heads” committed to addressing one of the planet’s most critical challenges.
It’s been a strong first year for The Carbon Loop and a year of positive progress for Australia’s CCUS industry as a whole. Let’s continue building on this momentum in the year ahead.
Take care, rest up, and thank you for your support!
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