WA in closer ties with China on carbon capture

• Focus on clean low emission technology

• Landmark project hosts Chinese delegation

Senior Chinese officials have visited Western Australia's nation-leading South West Hub Carbon Capture and Storage project.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion welcomed them to Australia and said this week's visit strengthened the already strong ties between the two nations.

"A vital concern to both countries is the creation and use of low emission technology, to cut waste and increase the amount of energy gained from each tonne of coal," Mr Marmion said.

"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a developing technology that offers very good prospects of emissions reduction in the future."

Along with Australian Government and Eastern States representatives, the Chinese delegation is in WA for the 7th Australia-China Bilateral Dialogue on Resource and Energy Cooperation and major meetings on carbon reduction technology. 

The delegation inspected sites in the Harvey and Waroona shires where the State Government's Department of Mines and Petroleum is overseeing the drilling of three new wells for the South West Hub project.

"This is an area with excellent prospects as an injection site for the underground storage of carbon dioxide in the Lesueur Sandstone," the Minister said.

"The Chinese delegation is also aware of the advances we have made in CCS in co-operation with industry in WA.

"The Gorgon Project at Barrow Island is the world's largest carbon sequestration project, storing up to four million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year and set to reduce the project's greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 per cent."

China and Australia are collaborating on two carbon Post Combustion Capture projects in China worth $14.4 million.

       Fact File

• The South West Hub project is jointly funded by the State and Australian governments

• For more information, visit http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au  

Minister's office - 6552 6800