Australia releases new areas for offshore CCS

The Australian government on August 29 released new areas for exploration for offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) in a bid to help the country lower emissions and meet its net-zero commitments.

The 2023 Offshore Greenhouse Gas Storage Acreage Release includes 10 areas across seven basins to explore for CCS sites in Commonwealth waters off Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

The areas were chosen for their geology and storage potential, and have been shaped to minimize impacts to other marine users and the marine environment.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the government is committed to lowering emissions and helping the world to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

"CCS is a critical technology that will help us achieve our climate goals," King said. "It is a proven way to reduce emissions from power plants and other industrial sources, and it can also be used to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like agriculture and transport."

The government has also provided A$12mn in funding to review the environmental management regime and examine ways to improve regulations to support offshore CCS projects.

"We are committed to ensuring that offshore CCS is conducted in a safe and sustainable manner," King said.