Western Australia Premier Roger Cook will travel to Japan for high-level discussions focusing on strengthening cooperation in green iron and decarbonisation technologies.
This will be Cook’s first official visit to Japan since his re-election earlier this year and comes as WA is positioning itself as a key supplier of low-emissions materials for the global energy transition.
“Being the first official visit to Japan since the election, this is a chance to reinforce how much we value our longstanding relationship and recommit to our joint priorities,” Cook said.
The trip will focus on emerging opportunities in green iron, a low-carbon steelmaking feedstock produced using renewable hydrogen instead of coking coal.
Decarbonisation technologies such as hydrogen, ammonia and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will also be on the agenda.
With Japan aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Cook said WA was well placed to support the transition with both traditional and next-generation energy exports.
“Japan has been a valued customer of Western Australian energy for decades,” he said. “I am optimistic this will continue as we support their energy transition with LNG (liquefied natural gas) and pursue next generation fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.”
Combining WA’s rich iron ore deposits with renewable energy potential and export infrastructure makes the state a natural partner for Japan’s steelmakers, which are under pressure to reduce emissions from one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries.
“Having face to face meetings with key Japanese Government and industry stakeholders affords us the opportunity to further strengthen the fantastic relationship WA and Japan have shared for so many years,” Cook said.
Japan is WA’s second-largest trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $29.8 billion in 2024, and a decades-long investor in the state’s resources sector.
Subscribe to Australian Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.
