Today’s launch of the $1.1 million Australia-China Clean Coal Technology Partnership Fund aims to accelerate the deployment of low emissions coal technologies to reduce emissions from coal- fired power stations.

The Fund is an initiative of the Australia-China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technology (JCG), which is supported by $20 million in funding from the Australian Government’s National Low Emissions Coal Initiative.

The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, welcomed the launch as a step towards deepening the cooperation between Australia and China to develop low emission coal technologies, such as post-combustion capture, oxy-fuel combustion and gasification.

“Australia and China are committed to finding ways of reducing carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels,” Minister Ferguson said.

“This is important because the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that demand for coal will continue to grow by nearly two-thirds to 2035 based on current trends.

“Given Australia is the largest coal exporter in the world and China comprises half of global coal consumption, it is vital that we work together to develop technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal.

“The IEA recognises that carbon capture and storage is a necessary technology in order to limit global average temperature increases to two degrees and forecasts that it will provide one-fifth of the required abatement by 2035.”

The JCG Partnership Fund will focus on strengthening Australia and China collaborative ties by offering research and industry organisations support to provide exchanges, secondments, workshops and symposiums in the field of in low-emissions coal technology development.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) will manage the Fund and now invites applications from Australian and Chinese research and industry representatives to apply for funding to support collaborative low emission coal initiatives.

Announcements regarding other projects the JCG is supporting are expected soon.

Information for applications can be found at www.atse.org.au.

09 July 2012