oa Techno-Economic Analysis of CCUS Hub Scenarios in Western Australia

Western Australia provides ideal conditions for establishing carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) hubs due to the co-location of abundant, highly suitable geological storage resources in saline aquifers and depleted fields with clusters of industrial emissions sources. Emitters include sources with high CO2 concentrations from gas processing, ammonia and fertilizer production that form a low-cost opportunity for the initial stages of a CCUS hub.

For techno-economic analysis, two main emissions clusters were identified: a) the Perth-Kwinana industrial area in the southwest of Western Australia with approximately 20 Mtpa of CO2 emissions and b) the Pilbara area in the northwest with approximately 30 Mtpa of CO2 emissions. Emissions in the Perth-Kwinana area are associated largely with power generation and alumina processing, whereas LNG processing, fertilisers and iron ore processing are the main CO2 sources in the Pilbara region. Approximately 5 Mtpa are reservoir CO2 separated from natural gas processing and high-CO2 streams from ammonia/fertiliser production and present a low-cost opportunity for the initial stages of a CCUS hub. The remaining 45 Mt of these emissions are associated with higher capture costs. Geological storage of CO2 is proposed in the offshore North Carnarvon Basin, which is a mature petroleum province.