FEDERAL ENERGY MINISTER Angus Taylor is expected to announce three new carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects on Friday for Western Australia – which is already home to the world’s largest failed attempt at CCS. 

Chevron’s Gorgon gas plant in WA is the world’s largest attempted CCS project in the world, which has been a big, expensive failure, plagued by leaks, cracks as well as frequently evacuated. When attached to polluting coal and gas projects, CCS is simply a licence to ramp up emissions and will never be a ‘zero-emissions’ solution. 

Greg Bourne, Climate Councillor, energy expert and former President of BP Australasia, who grew up in Western Australia said: 

“Australia’s energy security is vulnerable because we rely on globally traded gas and oil with all the geopolitical risks attached. This is pushing our strategic allies like the US and the EU to double down on clean energy. The EU responded to the war in Ukraine with plans to accelerate the shift to renewables, and reduce its overall reliance on fossil fuels. Not the other way around.” 

“Carbon capture and storage will not solve this problem, it will only prolong the life of these fossil fuels in our energy system complete with their emissions. The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association’s (APPEA) motivation in pushing CCS is not to help decarbonise difficult sectors such as cement but to increase the production of gas and oil.” 

“Investing in renewables and storage will increase Australia’s self-sufficiency, create new industries, and protect us from international shocks – like we’re seeing with gas now – and reliance on foriegn oil. We need homegrown power – and as one of the sunniest and windiest places on the planet, renewables are it.” 

Cut through the CCS spin with the Climate Council’s 2022 Federal Election Climate Crap Checker.  

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