The Western Australian Government will expand the research scope for the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) in a bid to support research into clean energy and emission reduction technologies.
Western Australia Mines and Petroleum Minister, Bill Johnston, made the announcement at the MRIWA Net Zero Emission Mining WA Conference on 1 September, along with announcing the launch of the Hybrid Power Purchase Agreement guide and template.
The template will help facilitate contract negotiations between miners and independent power producers for the installation of on-site renewable generation.
“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,” Mr Johnston said.
With decarbonisation activities and downstream processing opportunities accelerating, momentum continues to grow for industry to reduce emissions and reach the Western Australian Government’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Government is supporting industry by:
- Allocating $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
- Drafting the Greenhouse Gas Storage and Transport Bill
- Providing a series of resources through its Energy Industry Development (EID) team
While many clean energy technologies are well-established, significant technological barriers remain that are preventing broad adoption. Specific applications of clean energy solutions at scale, particularly in heavy and extractive industries, remains a challenge.
MRIWA will commence consultations to identify and prioritise the high-impact research areas in parallel to legislative changes being made.
