National events to highlight carbon capture and storage progress

With a range of events being planned around Australia, the 2012 National Carbon Capture and Storage Week will highlight major developments supporting the commercialisation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. CCS is recognised globally as a technology with the potential to significantly reduce global carbon dioxide emissions.

Following a successful inaugural week in 2010, the second National CCS Week will be held 21-26 October 2012, with initial events in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

The centrepiece of the week is the National CCS Conference, held in Perth on 21-23 October, where Australian and international experts will present on global achievements and discuss work to be done to further speed up progress. Registrations for the conference are now open.

The Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, will be among the speakers at the conference, addressing an audience of key policymakers, researchers, engineers, economists, environmental NGOs, community leaders and Australian and international investors.

CO2CRC Chief Executive and Chair of the conference organising committee Dr Richard Aldous said Australia is playing a leading role in advancing CCS technology.

“Australian progress on CCS, such as the Otway Project, the CarbonNet Project, the South West Hub Project and the Gorgon Project, which incorporates one of the largest and most advanced carbon dioxide storage projects in the world, are making a significant contribution to global knowledge of CCS,” Dr Aldous said.

CCS works by capturing, transporting and geologically storing industrial carbon dioxide emissions deep underground. It is regarded as essential if Australia is to meet its commitment of an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions on 2000 levels by 2050, along with the development of renewable energy sources.

The National CCS Week and Conference has been organised by the Australian Government Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, the Victorian Government Department of Primary Industries, the Global CCS Institute, CSIRO, CO2CRC, Australian Coal Association, Minerals Council of Australia, Brown Coal Innovation Australia and ANLEC R&D.

The National CCS Conference will be immediately followed by a meeting of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) Policy and Technical Groups, also in Perth. The CSLF is a ministerial-level international climate change initiative representing 24 countries and the European Commission.