- Energy and Resources Forum to promote WA's green
industry opportunities
- Cook Government positioning WA as a green energy
superpower
- Boosting trade with Japan to support local jobs
and a strong economy
Premier
Roger Cook will today host a major forum of Japanese businesses and investors
to promote green industry opportunities for Western Australia.
Japan
is WA's second largest trading partner and the State's largest LNG customer,
accounting for 41 per cent of the State's LNG exports.
The
forum includes representatives from BP Japan, CWP Global, JOGMEC, Kawasaki
Heavy Industries, Marubeni Corporation, Mitsui, Tokyo Gas and other leading
industry players.
Premier
Cook will use the forum to highlight WA's enormous potential in industries
needed to meet global decarbonisation targets.
Current expansions
and new lithium hydroxide projects – required for battery manufacturing – could
see WA have up to 10 per cent of global refining capacity by 2024, rising to 20
per cent by 2027.
Major investments
in rare earth processing facilities are also set to make WA one of the few
jurisdictions outside of China offering export quantities of processed rare
earths.
WA also has around
30 different gigawatt-scale renewable hydrogren projects in the pipeline,
aiming to capitalise on the State's world-class renewable energy
potential.
These projects
could supply millions of tonnes of renewable hydrogen every year to Japan.
The forum comes on
the second day of the Premier and Deputy Premier's trade mission to Japan,
which has focused on driving trade and tourism opportunities for WA.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Japan has played a pivotal
role in helping to grow the industries that have driven Western Australia's
economic strength for the past 50 years.
"That trading partnership will
be more important than ever as we establish the industries to keep our economy
strong in decades to come.
"WA has the critical minerals,
renewable energy and the skilled workforce to become a green energy superpower
as the world moves to net zero.
"That means more local jobs and
a strong local economy into the future.
"My message to major Japanese
businesses today is clear – WA is open for business."
