Australia-based Mineral Carbonation International (MCi) has held a foundation ceremony for its carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) plant ‘Myrtle’, currently under construction at Orica’s Kooragang Island site.
With backing from a A$14.6m ($9.7m) federal grant, the new plant is set to pioneer mineral carbonation, an innovative process converting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into useful materials.
The plant will source its CO2 from Orica’s ammonia manufacturing facility, capturing around 1,000 tonnes of the greenhouse gas each year.
Outlining the requirement for careful planning and policy coordination between all sectors involved in the energy transition, Sanjeev Gandhi, Managing Director and CEO at Orica, added, “This ceremony today is a great example of business and government working together to drive innovation for a better tomorrow, as we transition towards a lower carbon future, together.”
The company aims to achieve this by mixing captured CO2 with a mineral feedstock such as steel slag and mine tailings to produce carbonates and silicates that can be used in low carbon construction and building materials, chemicals, cements and concretes.
The company recently finalised a A$37m ($24.5m) project to implement tertiary abatement technology on the Kooragang Island site’s three nitric acid plants, slashing greenhouse gas emissions by almost half.
This reduction accounts for 11% of all chemical process emissions nationwide. The ongoing project is expected to annually eliminate 567,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, equivalent to the emissions of 50,000 homes.
Australia’s carbon reduction drive
According to CSIRO, about a sixth of Australia’s emissions come from industries including cement, steel and aluminium.
There are currently 18 CCS projects at various stages of progress in the country (including two test facilities), with current planned projects forecast to store 20m tonnes of CO2 year by 2035.
In its ‘CO2 Utilisation Roadmap’, CSIRO outlined the opportunities presented by emerging CCUS technologies for Australia to support new industries and reduce carbon emissions.
A more targeted report, ‘Opportunities for CO2 Utilisation in the Northern Territory,’ was released in 2023 to help inform the business case for the proposed Northern Territory Low Emissions Hub.
The Hub will enable the use of captured carbon in other industrial processes, such as the production of non-fossil-fuel alternatives for transportation and target the development of an interconnected hydrogen industry.
If realised, CSIRO says that the Hub will be one of the largest multi-user, multi-access hubs globally.
Following a study showcasing the potential for the state as a carbon storage hub, the government of Western Australia announced last year that it would invest nearly $3m in a CCUS action plan.
The study suggests key steps to harness WA’s potential in CCUS development. These include recognising CCUS within the state’s emissions reduction strategy and establishing supportive policy and regulatory frameworks.
