CO2 sequestration for Kwinana heavy industry among grant winners

An ambitious project to sequester harmful emissions from the Kwinana industrial area south Perth is among the projects funded by the Western Australian government’s Carbon Innovation Grants Program.

Perth-based carbon geosequestration technology developer Sea-Quester Offshore received an $500,000 grant to investigate emissions reduction options for Kwinana heavy industries.

Sea-Quester will partner with Discover Geoscience and DORIS Group on the project.

Nine organisations will share $4.24 million in funding to embark on projects in WA which have demonstrated benefits to heavy industry and mitigation of hard-to-abate emissions.
The nine organisations are set to receive funding under the grants programme are Aurizon Operations Limited, CSBP Limited, CSIRO, Airbridge Pty Ltd, First Mode Pty Ltd, Australia VRFB ESS Company Pty Ltd, Wallis Drilling Pty Ltd, Tronox Limited and Sea-Quester Offshore Pty Ltd.

The Sea-Quester grant supports a ‘source-to-sink’ feasibility study to evaluate the commercial viability for the safe, long-term industrial-scale disposal of CO2 emissions from Kwinana industry into the offshore South Perth Basin.

If the feasibility study demonstrates offshore sequestration to be commercially viable and scalable, the implications for Western Australia and the nation will be far-reaching, according to the company.

The feasibility study will evaluate the full sequestration value-chain, from onshore emitters (‘source’), onshore CO2 infrastructure and storage, offshore CO2 transportation and injection, and geosequestration.

The Carbon Innovation Grants Program is part of the Western Australian Government’s $1.25 billion Climate Action Fund which aims to build the capacity of heavy industry to transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

The Kwinana Industries Council estimates heavy industry in the area generates more than seven million tonnes of CO2 annually.

Kwinana Industries Council Director Chris Oughton said: “Kwinana Industries Council members are committed to net zero carbon emissions.

“The technical merits of carbon sequestration techniques, such as those under investigation for the South Perth Basin, could be a game-changing solution to the complex and challenging issue of emissions reduction for our members.”

Sea-Quester Managing Director Chris Merrick said: “Offshore geosequestration using the Sea-Quester Carbon Harvester vessel, in combination with the PivotreeTM seafloor mooring and injection technology, is the vital piece of the equation in the CO2 abatement supply chain.”

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation administers the $15 million grants program through a competitive process.

Approximately $4.3 million of funding will be available in each round until 2025 when Round 3 projects are expected to be awarded.

Picture: Sea-Quester Offshore/Carbom Harvester