A new report has recommended the Pilbara invest in common-user infrastructure (CUI) to leverage Australia’s role in resources decarbonisation.
‘SUPERPOWERING-UP: Accelerating the electrification and decarbonisation of the Pilbara’ made several recommendations to the Federal Government, including investing in renewables-powered green metals refining, critical minerals processing and cleantech manufacturing.
Among the recommendations to the WA Government was the prioritisation of the development of a comprehensive single CUI plan in the Pilbara region, and the legislation of the state’s Climate Change Bill 2023 to drive acceleration of net-zero across the state.
“Much must be done to speed up the deployment of solar and wind power in the Pilbara and its use to economically decarbonise the mining of our existing exports, and produce value-added, decarbonised derivatives,” former Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel said in the report foreword.
“The CEF report identifies many of the essentials that governments can implement, and opportunities for government to facilitate co-investment and collaboration between our resource majors and global sector leaders on important projects in the Pilbara, so that Australia will be able to compete efficiently with other countries.
“If the recommendations in this report are implemented, they will help build international demand for our value-added products and ensure the necessary domestic and international finance is forthcoming.”
Finkel said part of the supply-side focus should be investment in CUI for the electricity grid, while part should be initiatives such as co-location of renewable energy generation with green metals refining.
“… we must focus on supply-side incentives to ensure that we are internationally competitive in export-oriented green metals,” he said.
“I commend this CEF report for consideration by the Western Australian Government and the mining industry in Western Australia. Further, there are many observations and suggestions in this important report that will be of relevance to other states in Australia.”
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