PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government on Thursday announced plans to expand the research scope for the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) to support research into clean energy and emission reduction technologies.
“The government is committed to supporting the Western Australian mining industry as it transitions to net zero emissions by 2050,” Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said.
“Expanding MRIWA's research scope will position our state to benefit from research and development focused on emissions reduction and the broader clean energy value chain. Western Australia's mining and technology services sectors are world leaders in innovation - their skills and expertise are being applied to companies' decarbonisation goals.”
MRIWA will commence consultations to identify and prioritise the high-impact research areas in parallel to legislative changes being made.
Speaking at the MRIWA Net Zero Emission Mining WA Conference, Johnston pointed out that the government was supporting the resource industry’s efforts to reduce emissions and reach the target of net zero emissions by 2050.
This support includes A$6-million in funding for research and development in critical minerals, precision and low-impact mining, and the uptake of clean energy technologies; developing its Sectoral Emissions Reduction Strategies with industry, the drafting of a Greenhouse Gas Storage and Transport Bil, and providing a series of resources through its Energy Industry Development team.
Johnston said that while many clean energy technologies were well-established, significant technological barriers remained that were preventing broad adoption. Specific applications of clean energy solutions at scale, particularly in heavy and extractive industries, remained a challenge, he said.