Net Zero Research, Development & Deployment Inventory

The Challenge

The current WA heavy industry decarbonisation R&D landscape consists of multiple organisations and projects. The lack of a shared understanding poses a potential risk to long-term emissions reduction and the strategic direction for investment in the development of technologies crucial for decarbonising heavy industry in WA. Consequently, this could impede effective and efficient use of public and private funding. 

Key Findings

• Findings indicate there is currently strong support for the development of a new low emissions economy in WA in iron and steel making, hydrogen and ammonia manufacturing, and cement and concrete production.  

• Funding gaps identified were linked to the uneven distribution of funding within universities-led research compared to industry led-research. An assessment found that a technology readiness gap between bench top laboratory component testing and pilot scale/demonstration plants (TRL 4 to TRL6/7) 

• Future research should focus on improving inventory maintenance and keeping pace with rapid research developments. Ongoing data collection, collation, and commitment to long-term management are essential for demonstrating the value of the inventory and sustaining stakeholder engagement. The use of machine learning, AI, and automated systems, using targeted keywords and known data sources, will be crucial for efficient and continuous data gathering.  

• Future work in expanding the inventory to include commercial and social readiness measures for better investment evaluation, with new parameters developed alongside stakeholders.  

Benefits to WA

The inventory will provide an understanding of the heavy industry decarbonisation R&D landscape in WA, and could contribute to developing a strategic, coordinated direction for heavy industry RD&D investment.

Financial Assistance DOI

DOI 10.71342/303515157895