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Australia Opens First Carbon Refinery
18 Jun
Summary
- First carbon refinery in Australia opened in New South Wales.
- Technology captures CO2 and turns it into concrete and paper.
- The plant can capture 2,500 metric tons of CO2 annually.
Australia has launched its first carbon refinery in New South Wales, a pioneering facility designed to capture carbon dioxide from industrial processes. Located on Kooragang Island, the refinery utilizes Orica's ammonia-making operations as a source for CO2 capture.
The demonstration plant, developed by MCI Carbon, employs mineral carbonation technology, mimicking Earth's natural process of sequestering CO2 into rock. This technology has been in development for 15 years and the plant has the capacity to capture 2,500 metric tons of CO2 annually.
Unlike traditional carbon capture and storage, this Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) method creates 'carbon-embodied' products such as concrete, paper, and glass. Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen highlighted its potential for emitters to decarbonize profitably. MCI Carbon is also planning a larger facility in Austria.
This initiative aligns with Australia's updated emissions reduction target of 62% to 70% from 2005 levels by 2035.
