CarbonLock FSP Newsletter #1
We are delighted to bring you the first issue of the CarbonLock FSP newsletter. As we move toward the end of 2022, it’s a great time to reflect on the year past and consider what 2023 holds for CarbonLock.
This FSP officially kicked off in 2022 and hit the ground running. Guided by our excellent Steering Committee, we have brought together a fantastic leadership team across participating BUs (Environment, Mineral Resources, Energy, Manufacturing and NCMI); we have defined our structure to focus needed to drive the breakthroughs and radical innovation that will be required to deliver scalable, fast-acting and cost-effective permanent carbon locking.
We commissioned a portfolio of eleven short-term scoping, modelling and investigative projects with co-investment by Business Units via a call for new ideas mid-year. This is an exciting set of projects already producing exciting and promising results and bringing researchers together across CSIRO. We have also opened many stimulating discussions with other FSPs, such as Responsible Innovation, Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems, Hydrogen Energy Systems and Advanced Engineering Biology; we anticipate strengthening our links with these FSPs and look forward to developing cross-FSP projects in the next year.
We have just launched our call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from across CSIRO this month to invest $4M in core research activities within carbon capture, carbon storage and their integration. The conversations that have erupted from this call are exciting, and we strongly encourage you to contribute your ideas towards solving one most significant challenges facing Australia and the world. Visit our Confluence page here for more info and to apply!
Throughout the year, CarbonLock has been involved in several significant reports, including the recently published assessment of Australia’s carbon sequestration potential and contributed to other efforts due as the MRIWA Mineral Carbonation Roadmap and the Australian Academy of Science Roundtable on Negative Emissions. The FSP joined the Mission Innovation – Carbon Dioxide Removal this year, representing Australia in this critical international effort to achieve 100 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide Removal by 2030; we have also had the pleasure of starting to develop research partnerships across industry, universities and government both nationally and internationally.
The FSP team quickly grew this year through the Impossible Without You program. From this, we have welcomed seven CarbonLock FSP research scientists into the fold, three of whom have begun in the Environment and Energy BU. We also welcomed new several new post-graduate students into the FSP.
Lastly, we are thrilled to announce the official launch of CarbonLock FSP via webinar on 7th March 2023, with invitations coming in the new year. The webinar will focus on the urgency and challenges associated with a negative emissions future. This will complement the Mineral Resources Cutting Edge Symposium on mineral carbonation in June 2023.
It has been a busy and exciting year; as we wind down, we would like to wish everyone a restful and safe holiday period. We look forward to connecting again in the New Year!