According to research, the establishment of Net Zero Zones (NZZs) across Australia may greatly hasten the country’s transition to a net-zero economy. Under the Federal Government’s Safeguard Mechanism, these zones would serve as centers for energy producers, emission reduction technologies, manufacturing, and industry, possibly covering 79% of the 215 facilities and 92% of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to a report titled ‘A Review of Net Zero Energy & Industrial Zones’ by the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA), nine potential zones have been identified that could be equipped with shared infrastructure for natural gas, renewables, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, and low-carbon hydrogen production.
Adelaide-Port Augusta, the Cooper Basin, Perth, the Pilbara, Melbourne-Gippsland, Sydney-Newcastle, Brisbane, the Surat Basin, Central Queensland, and the proposed Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct near Darwin are also possible places.
According to the paper, NZZs might help to scale up carbon dioxides removal technologies like Direct Air Capture and Carbon Storage (DACCS) and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), which are regarded as critical to mitigating emissions. They might also use existing infrastructure to increase net zero energy and industrial exports and imports, paving the way for a future of low-carbon hydrogen exports and perhaps CO2 imports for long-term storage.
“Net Zero Zones could help Australia accelerate to net zero and seize the economic opportunities of the energy transformation,” said APPEA chief executive Samantha McCulloch. It’s similar to carpooling carbon emissions by working together to reach net zero most quickly and cost-effectively for the economy. The zones could become magnets for regional investment and provide a framework for various industries to collaborate to accelerate the path to net zero, reduce costs, create and protect jobs in manufacturing, mineral processing, and industry, leverage existing infrastructure, provide a focal point for streamlined government approvals, and lay the groundwork for net zero energy and industrial exports and imports.”
The APPEA will use the report’s findings as a starting point for discussions with governments, businesses, and stakeholders from across the regions. The findings were revealed ahead of the 2023 APPEA Conference & Exhibition themed ‘Lead, Shape, Innovate – Accelerating to Net Zero’ to be hosted in Adelaide.
