Supporting industry to decarbonise

The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is supporting national and global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, providing Western Australia’s industrial, mining, LNG and natural gas industries with opportunities to decarbonise. 

While WA’s resource-based economy is currently emissions intensive, the State’s significant land mass and extensive coastline provide enormous potential for carbon storage. 

In May this year, the Petroleum Legislation Amendment Act 2024 was passed in State Parliament, giving the green light to develop a legislative framework for the permanent transport and storage of greenhouse gas in WA.

The department’s Resource and Environmental Regulation (RER) Group have started drafting the supporting regulations, utilising opportunities to learn from others and increase their knowledge in what will be a new industry for WA to regulate.

In July, team members from RER attended Asia-Pacific’s leading event for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in Melbourne.

"The Carbon Capture APAC 2024 conference provided a platform to hear from key decision-makers across the carbon capture and storage value chain,” said General Manager Petroleum and Energy Compliance Ikae Brown and Principal Geoscientist Pat Boss, who attended on behalf of the Resource and Environmental Compliance Division. 

“We heard about the latest advancements, challenges and opportunities in CCUS and spoke with Australian and regional regulators about managing issues and finding solutions.

“The cross-jurisdictional shared knowledge and informed discussions will help us progress our regulatory efforts in WA and support sustainable energy solutions in the State."

Geological Survey of Western Australia’s (GSWA) Senior Geologist Julie Cass took part in an engaging panel discussion about the strategic approaches to stimulate carbon storage.

The visit to the east coast was also an opportune time to meet with key stakeholders, including research organisation CO2CRC Limited, Mitsubishi Corporation and National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director General RER Andrew Chaplyn will attend the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) 2024 conference, a global energy forum in Norway at the end of August.

With a particular focus on CCUS and decommissioning, Mr Chaplyn will join world-leading experts, business leaders and decision-makers to discuss the trends, the strategies and leadership needed to progress towards a new energy future.