Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute at the inaugural meeting of Institute foundation members in Canberra today.
The Institute is being established by the Government to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology globally and the sharing of information.
It has already received strong and widespread international support with 85 bodies, including 16 national Governments and more than 40 major companies, signing on as foundation members and collaborating participants (see list below). More members are expected to join by 1 July 2009 when the Institute will become a separate legal entity.
The GCCSI is an important part of the Australian Government's response to the environmental and economic challenge of climate change.
The Government's climate change strategy is designed to reduce our carbon pollution, adapt to the impact of climate change we cannot avoid and help shape a global solution.
The Australian Government believes that carbon capture and storage has the potential to play an important role in the global transition to a low carbon economy.
The Institute is an initiative to help drive global cooperation on CCS projects and technologies.
It will help shape an international solution to climate change by building momentum for the deployment of CCS technology.
It will make an important contribution reducing the level of carbon pollution in Australia by advancing technology that will capture and store emissions.
It will also play a key role - along with the International Energy Agency and the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum - in achieving the G8 group's goal of the broad deployment of CCS technology by 2020.
The Government announced the Institute in September 2008 with annual funding of up to $100 million to accelerate the deployment of commercial scale CCS projects globally.
The Government appointed Mr Nick Otter as interim CEO and recently appointed Mr James D. Wolfensohn to the position of Chair of the International Advisory Panel of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute.
Participants of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute
Foundation Members
The Government of Australia
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi
The Government of Canada
European Commission
The Government of France
The Government of Germany
The Government of Indonesia
The Government of Italy
The Government of Japan
The Government of the Republic of Korea
The Government of Mexico
The Government of Netherlands
The Government of New Zealand
The Government of Norway
The Government of Papua New Guinea
The Government of South Africa
The Government of United Kingdom
The Government of United States of America
The State Government of New South Wales
The State Government of Queensland
The State Government of South Australia
The State Government of Victoria
The State Government of Western Australia
Asian Development Bank
Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Alstom Power Ltd
AMEC Plc
Anglo American Services (UK) Limited
ARUP Pty Ltd
BHP Billiton
BP Australia Pty Ltd
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
Chiyoda Corporation
Doosan Babcock Energy Limited
The Dow Chemical Company
ENEL
Exxon Mobil Australia Pty Ltd
General Electric International Inc
Greenhouse Gas Storage Solutions (GGSS)
Hitachi Corporation
Hydrogen Energy International Limited
INPEX Corporation
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Corp
Nippon Steel Engineering Co. Ltd
Macquarie Capital Advisers Ltd
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsui & Co Ltd
Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia Pty Ltd
Peabody Pacific Pty Ltd
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Rio Tinto Ltd
RWE Power AG
Santos Limited
Senergy Alternate Energy Ltd
Services Petroliers Schlumberger
Shell International Petroleum Company Ltd
Southern States Energy Board (US)
StatoilHydro ASA
Taisei Construction Corporation
Toshiba Corporation
Total E&P
TRUenergy Development Pty Ltd
Woodside Energy Ltd
Worley Parsons Services Pty Ltd
Xstrata Coal Pty Ltd
ZEEP Australia Pty Ltd
Australian Coal Association
Carbon Capture and Storage Association
Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC)
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
The Clinton Foundation
Glówny Instytut Górnictwa (Poland)
Japanese Coal Energy Center (JCOAL)
National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development Ltd (Australia)
Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE, Japan)
South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI)
The Climate Group
Underground Coal Gasification Association
University College of London
World Coal Institute
Collaborating Participants
International Energy Agency
The World Bank
The Government of the Peoples Republic of China
China Huaneng Group