Carbon Loop #013
Net Zero Strategies, CCS-Kings, Clean Commodities, LCLFs, and a Handbook
A newsletter by the CCUSNA dedicated to highlighting the Australian carbon capture, utilisation and storage industry.
🇦🇺 Australia’s Net Zero Strategies Land ..
The Federal Government has dropped a suite of Net Zero strategies covering key parts of the economy: transport, resources, industry, built environment, agriculture and land, and electricity. Together with the overarching Net Zero Plan, these reports provide the most detailed picture yet of how Australia expects to meet its emissions commitments.
There’s a bajillion pages to get through and I’m a long way from having an informed opinion, but my initial hot take is a bit: Hmm.. really?
The sectoral plans especially were an excellent opportunity for the Federal Government to expand their ‘Future Made in Australia’ ambitions and endorse CCS as the enabling technology to build industry while simultaneously shrinking emissions. And it seems they might have gone in a bit too gently in that regard?
CCS certainly gets a mention in a few spots. Weirdly it seems to feature more prominently in the Resources Sectorial Plan than the Industry Plan. But, overall, I’m worried they might have missed a good opportunity to move the industry forward.
I hope I’m wrong.
Let’s see what the sentiment is next month when we’ve all had a chance to digest the materials properly.
→ Net Zero Plan (Main Report) | Transport & Infrastructure | Resources Sector | Industry Sector | Built Environment | Agriculture & Land | Electricity & Energy | 2035 Targets Advice
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🇦🇺 King: “no net zero without CCS” ..
Resources Minister Madeleine King reinforced the role of carbon capture and storage in Australia’s decarbonisation plans, stating bluntly that “there’s no net zero without large-scale CCS.”
Unfortunately the link is paywalled, but I’ve included some snips below —
“Resources Minister Madeleine King says it will be nearly impossible to achieve net zero emissions without embracing carbon capture and storage technology as she promoted Australia’s place as a future carbon sink for Japan.”
and
“Carbon capture and storage is part of the solution. Respected organisations such as the Australian Climate Change Authority and the International Energy Agency recognise that CCS has an essential role to play in meeting net zero.”
and
“Australia has huge potential for CCS. We have the right geological formations, the right infrastructure, and the right skills to be at the forefront of CCS and to help our regional partners in their own decarbonisation journeys.”
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⛴️ Clean Commodities Trading Initiative launched
The Centre for Green Energy Statecraft has launched the Clean Commodities Trading Initiative (CCTI) — an international effort to set common rules for trading low-carbon commodities. The idea is simple but powerful: give buyers and sellers of “clean” products like steel, cement, hydrogen, and ammonia a consistent set of carbon accounting standards so they can actually trade with confidence across borders.
I caught a webinar on this from the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, featuring Oliver Yates, and it was excellent. His points on how to build real markets for lower-carbon products were right on the money — highly recommend giving it a watch.
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🇦🇺 $1.1 billion for low-carbon liquid fuels ..
The Australian Government has announced a $1.1 billion package to accelerate production of sustainable aviation fuel, e-fuels, and other low-carbon liquid fuels for jets, ships, and heavy industry. The investment is aimed at closing the cost gap with fossil fuels, supporting early projects, and positioning Australia as a regional exporter of SAF and e-fuels.
As I read through the details I’m feeling a strong biofuels-bias but for the CCUS sector this is a major signal: biofuels will likely be the early movers but LCLFs will only reach the scale needed with reliable access to CO₂ feedstock and carbon management infrastructure.
→ DCCEEW release | RenewEconomy
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🇦🇺 New funding pathways for clean energy & CCS ..
Governments are rolling out fresh support for decarbonisation projects, creating multiple new entry points for developers and investors.
WA : Invest and Trade WA has launched a “New Energies Industries Funding Stream” under its Investment Attraction Fund. It includes support for hydrogen, ammonia, CCS, and other decarbonisation projects that enhance WA’s export position.
Federal : The Commonwealth’s Investor Front Door platform sets out eligibility and assessment criteria for clean energy investments, while ARENA has announced $180 million in new funding under its Industrial Transformation Stream to support regional industrial decarbonisation projects. CCS-linked proposals could fit where they cut emissions from hubs or underpin low-carbon value chains like clean ammonia or e-fuels.
Federal : The Government has also unveiled a $5 billion Net Zero Fund, designed to accelerate industrial decarbonisation at scale. Framed as a complement to the sectoral Net Zero Plans, it positions CCS squarely as enabling infrastructure for heavy industry to compete in a net zero economy. Consultation is now open on how the fund should be designed and delivered.
As an aside, I’ve received some feedback that the newsletter has been a bit too WA-centric and I completely agree. I’d love to include more information and plugs for projects and funding in other States. But I am based in Perth and unfortunately the Carbon Loop Travel Budget is quite restrictive, so please do share with me snippets from other States as I would love to share them more widely.
→ WA Government — Investment Attraction Fund | Investor Front Door | ARENA release | Net Zero Fund release | Net Zero Fund consultation
🌏 Aramco’s bold blue hydrogen ambitions ..
From Saudi Arabia: Aramco is doubling down on blue hydrogen, with export-scale ambitions based on gas reforming + CCS. The company is exploring partnerships across Asia and Europe, positioning itself as a long-term supplier of low-carbon fuels. The scale — and the geopolitical clout — make this a development worth watching for Australian producers competing for Asian markets.
I tells ya what would be awesome: This Aramco mob should look at acquiring a great Australian oil and gas company with CCS assets ripe for development and expansion. That’d be so cool.
(too soon?)
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🌏 Tech breakthroughs in carbon capture ..
The University of Houston has unveiled two lab-scale advances: (1) a membrane that separates CO₂ with lower energy demand, and (2) a process that uses a new solvent blend to capture CO₂ more efficiently. Both could materially cut the cost of capture if proven at scale.
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🌏 Europe pushes policy and projects ..
🇪🇺 EU Parliament study: A new briefing outlines policy options to accelerate CCS deployment in Europe, including storage liability frameworks and funding models. EU Study PDF
🇬🇧 MissZ Third CCUS site: Mission Zero reports progress on its third capture project, highlighting growing momentum in the UK’s cluster model. UK Tech News
🇬🇧 Two new CCUS negotiations: The UK Government has entered negotiations with industry on two further CCUS projects, building the pipeline for commercial deployment. New Civil Engineer
🇩🇰 Bioenergy with CCS: Opinion piece underscores BECCS as critical to carbon removals scaling in Europe. New Civil Engineer — opinion
🌏 Global carbon removal & CCUS insights ..
🌐 Puro.earth raises $13m to scale its carbon removal crediting platform. Carbon Herald
🌐 MHI explainer: A solid primer on CCUS as part of the energy transition. MHI — Spectra
🌐 Global Maritime Forum: Calls for IMO member states to back net-zero shipping targets. GMF
🌐 Google bets on CO₂ battery startup: Google has invested in Energy Dome, a startup developing CO₂-based long-duration energy storage. The technology compresses CO₂ to store power and could become a low-cost complement to renewables — another reminder that managing carbon isn’t only about capture and burial, but also about circular innovation. Latitude Media
📅 Events
Mission Innovation CDR Mission Hybrid Workshop — 8–9 October 2025, Tokyo (online participation available). Register here
📘 CCUSNA Member Resource: CCUS Handbook
The new CCUS Handbook — Facts, Statistics and Quotes is now available to CCUS Members.
The handbook brings together foundational, fact-based material designed to support communications and briefings on carbon capture, utilisation and storage. It covers key statistics, quotes, and context across the industry — a useful reference for both corporate and individual members looking to strengthen their messaging.
Interested in accessing the Handbook and other member benefits? Membership options are available for corporates, professionals, and students.
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