JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Australia would develop a Low Emissions Technology Roadmap to highlight growth areas for clean technology, map the development of new emissions reductions technologies and identify opportunities to be part of future global energy supply chains, the coalition government announced on Friday.
Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Christopher Pyne said the roadmap, which the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) was tasked to develop, would identify ways to boost research, development and commercialisation of new and emerging low emissions technologies.
“The roadmap will build on the government’s significant investments in low emissions science and technology,” Pyne said.
“It will identify how new and emerging technologies will help reduce emissions domestically and ensure we can benefit from the growing international demand for these technologies.
“For example, by 2018 Australian solar technology will be embedded in over 60% of the world’s photovoltaic panels. This roadmap will identify other areas where we can drive global change through Australian innovation.
“In developing the roadmap the CSIRO will consult with industry stakeholders and other experts to better understand how we can leverage our comparative advantages and collaborate with overseas partners to achieve a large-scale technology transformation.”
Resources, Energy and Northern Australia Minister Josh Frydenberg said the roadmap would provide information on new technologies to reduce emissions from the energy and transport sectors and how these technologies could be deployed in Australia.
“The coalition is committed to a technology-neutral approach to energy policy. This roadmap will further this commitment by supporting the development of innovative and low emissions technologies,” he said.
“Not only will this initiative identify technologies that could create new and innovative products for consumers, it will also help identify opportunities for Australian businesses to be involved in the global energy supply chain, with the potential of creating new industries that create new jobs and growth in Australia.”
Environment Minister Greg Hunt commented that Australia had already started to transition to a low emissions economy. Australia’s 2030 targets to reduce emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030 represented a 52% reduction in emissions per capita and a two-thirds reduction in the emission intensity of the country’s economy.
“The roadmap will provide important new information on innovative technologies available to help meet Australia’s 2030 target and further emission reductions in the years beyond, such as renewable energy, smart grids, carbon capture and storage, electric vehicles and energy efficiency,” Hunt said.
The coalition government has made commitments in clean energy innovation through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the CSIRO and Australia’s universities.
In March, the government announced it would establish a new $1-billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund, to be jointly administered by ARENA and the CEFC. This fund would help emerging clean energy technologies make the leap from demonstration to commercial deployment.
ARENA has committed over $1-billion to around 230 renewable energy projects, with industry matching this investment with more than $2-billion.
In addition, CSIRO Energy is pursuing a dedicated research programme exploring new energy technologies for Australia.