CSIRO’s CO2 Utilisation Roadmap outlines opportunities for Australia to convert carbon dioxide into useful products.
CO2CRC CEO, Dr Matthias Raab, said the roadmap identifies avenues for Australia to capitalize on CCU technologies.
“CO2CRC has an active research and demonstration portfolio in areas of CO2 utilisation, including direct air capture (DAC), Carbon Negative Hydrogen Utilisation Hub (CNHUB), and CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR).
Raab said Direct Air Capture technologies are maturing rapidly around the world and field deployment is required to prototype at scale.
“CO2CRC’s Otway International Test Centre is equipped and ready to test and demonstrate DAC units with the captured CO2 able to be stored underground,” Raab said.
“This is yet another unique advantage for Australia to innovate, demonstrate and verify the viability of a highly prospective technology. And, we can do it faster than anywhere else in the world.”
“CO2CRC’s Carbon Negative Hydrogen Utilisation research integrates all forms of hydrogen production, storage, and CO2 utilisation in a single centre to demonstrate a complete supply chain solution for a hydrogen and carbon negative economy, where CO2 is either sequestered or converted into renewable biochemicals, biopolymers and biofuels.
“CO₂-EOR has the potential to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions while improving Australia’s energy security by boosting oil recovery in mature basins. All of the injected volume of CO₂ will be permanently stored in underground reservoirs by the end of the operational life cycle,” Raab said.
GRA and CO2CRC have recently concluded a basin screening study for CO2 EOR in Australia which shows significant opportunities for permanent CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery in the Cooper, Surat, Gippsland, Bonaparte, and Carnarvon basins.
Raab said the study shows, by optimising the CO2 storage during the EOR project, these basins can store up to 2.5 Gt of CO2, making it even a net-negative emissions process.