The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism said the end objective of the CMATSP was to maintain the international competiveness and viability of the Australian coal mining sector under increasing pressure from greenhouse constraints and the carbon pricing scheme.
Funding will be directed towards research, development and demonstration of greenhouse gas mitigation technologies, including monitoring and measurement systems.
Work to address related safety issues and assistance with abatement strategy feasibility studies will also be considered in the program.
The CMATSP was introduced in recognition that the technology to abate greenhouse emissions is technically complex and must be developed with the safety of mine personnel as the number one priority.
The Australian Coal Association has applauded the funding which it said would supplement the industry’s own RD&D program to reduce emissions from coal mining.
“Since 1992 the ACA Research Program has been funding R&D into coal production and use,” ACA chief executive Nikki Williams said.
“ACARP currently invests over $14 million per annum on industry-related research, via an industry-wide levy on coal production.
“RD&D to address fugitive emissions, particularly from underground coal mines, has been ongoing for more than a decade.
“Underground coal mines currently yield around 20 per cent of coal produced but are responsible for 70 per cent of fugitive emissions.”
Williams said the partnership between industry and government was a positive step towards emissions abatement.
“The CMATSP will help to build on the work of the coal industry to minimise fugitive emissions from coal mining and is an important partnering initiative to complement other industry, Australian and state government initiatives to develop low emissions coal technologies,” she said.
“This includes the carbon capture and storage flagships program, which complements the coal industry’s world-first, voluntary $1 billion COAL21 initiative, designed to accelerate the development and demonstration of CCS technologies.”
To find additional information on mitigating and managing greenhouse gas emissions on the ACARP website, click here.
