Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator the Hon Chris Evans, has announced $48.4 million from the Education Investment Fund to build the National Geosequestration Laboratory (NGL).
The facility is a collaboration between Curtin University, CSIRO and UWA to support critical research into the long-term geological storage of CO2.
The NGL, centred at the Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC) at Bentley’s Technology Park, will be a national facility investigating technologies that capture CO2 from industrial processes and safely store it underground in stable geological formations.
Professor Graeme Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Development, said Curtin researchers now have access to valuable new research facilities worth $12.94 million, with the first of these, a micro computer tomography (Micro CT) scanner, already installed at ARRC.
The Micro CT Scanner will be used to investigate the movement of supercritical CO2 fluids through the pores of rocks to determine if they can be used for CO2 storage.
“Funding research towards effective carbon capture storage technologies is a key part of securing a clean energy future for everyone,” Professor Wright said.
“This is an exciting achievement for Curtin and I look forward to seeing innovative solutions developed by our researchers that help Australia reduce its carbon emissions.”
The NGL will support the scientific research needs of the Collie-South West Hub Geosequestration demonstration project and will be one of the most significant international centres for research, training and technology development for the global resources sector.
Contact:
Megan Meates, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 4241, Mobile: 0401 103 755, Email: megan.meates@curtin.edu.au
Web: http://curtin.edu.au
