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Australia govt invests in new research centres

Australia govt invests in new research centres

Photo by Bloomberg

13th March 2020

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Australian government has announced a A$40-million investment to establish the Future Energy Exports (FEnEx) cooperative research center (CRC) and a further A$29.5-million for the CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME).

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the FEnEx CRC would help Australia maintain its position as a leading global energy exporter, while the CRC TiME would help keep jobs in regional communities, building on the strength of the resources and energy sectors. 

“The world’s demand for energy is insatiable and Australia is already dominant, with current energy exports worth nearly A$90-billion,” Andrews said.

“The FEnEx CRC will further strengthen our export industry by developing technologies to improve the efficiency of existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) processes and the development of new exports like hydrogen.

“Importantly, the FEnEx CRC will tap into international interest in lowering the cost of energy production, while at the same time reducing the carbon footprint of the LNG industry.”

Andrews said that the CRC’s research programme promised to place Australia’s LNG sector well ahead of the curve by anticipating future changes in its energy mix, improving the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.

At least A$16-million of the federal funding for the FEnEx CRC will go towards a planned world-first microscale LNG plant, which will form part of the LNG Futures Facility, in Kwinana, Western Australia.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said that the LNG Futures Facility would position the state as the global leader in developing and testing new LNG technology, and create up to 1 400 jobs for Western Australians.

The state government is providing A$10-million over ten years and granting suitable land in the Kwinana industrial precinct to support the development of the LNG Futures Facility, while the University of Western Australia has committed up to A$15-million for the facility.

Meanwhile, Resources, Northern Australia and Water Minister Keith Pitt said that the CRC TiME would provide the tools for towns and regions to navigate opportunities to create new jobs and bring development that keeps communities strong.

“The resources and energy sector is building new infrastructure across regional Australia and developing highly skilled and highly committed local workforces,” Pitt said.

“The government and the resources industry recognise more needs to be done to diversify the economies of some local communities which are highly dependent on individual mining projects. The work of CRC TiME will help mining communities broaden their local economies so they can continue to grow and stay strong.”

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) said on Friday that the establishment of the CRC TiME would build on significant investments in science, innovation and community partnerships by the world-leading Australian minerals industry.

“The minerals industry is proud to be an active partner of communities across regional Australia. Working in partnership with host communities and regions, the industry supports shared and sustainable benefits from minerals development,” said MCA CEO Tania Constable.

“Mining is good for Australia’s regional communities, with the Productivity Commission reporting in 2017 that mining regions continue to have higher incomes and much greater employment than prior to the mining investment boom – and that the benefits created by mining will continue into the future.

“The industry is also committed to continuous improvement in its safety, environmental and social performance including support for sustainable land use outcomes after mining and contributing to strong and resilient host communities.”

Constable said that the CRC would provide significant benefits to industry and mining communities through a coordinated, strategic approach to long-term research on mine closure and increasing regional investment in post-mine land use and infrastructure, bring forward rehabilitation and re-use for agriculture.

The Minerals Council of Western Australia has also welcomed the government investment, with its CEO Paul Everingham noting that the FEnEx CRC would boost the development of technology and innovation in the resources sector.

“Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of LNG, with an estimated value of over A$50-billion in 2018/19, however, the high cost of producing LNG locally makes us less competitive than other countries,” he said.

Everingham said that the FEnEx CRC would be perfectly positioned to develop and test new technologies with the potential to improve operational performance, increase process reliability and reduce production costs, leading to better environmental and economic outcomes.”

The FEnEx CRC has generated a further A$122-million in cash and in-kind contributions from industry and researchers, while the CRC TiME has generated a further A$105-million in cash and in-kind contributions from industry and researchers.

Since 2013, the government has committed A$1.1-billion to support the establishment of 30 CRCs, with industry and research partners contributing A$3.4-billion in cash and in-kind contributions.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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