Heavy Industry Net Zero Emissions Roadmap Project

The Challenge

The current heavy industry decarbonisation RD&D landscape consists of multiple actors and projects. The current lack of a coordinated, strategic direction for the investment and deployment of science and technology resources for heavy industry decarbonisation in WA risks the efficient and effective use of private and public finance and impedes cost-effective high-impact future investment. 

Proposed Solution

To develop a Net Zero Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Roadmap (Roadmap) outlining WA’s current and future capabilities and opportunities for investment into heavy industry decarbonisation RD&D. Initiated under the heavy industry component of the Sectorial Emissions Reduction Strategy (HISERS), the Roadmap will be developed in collaboration with industry and research organisations to provide a better understanding of current and future capabilities and opportunities to support WA’s net zero transition and enable a more integrated approach through reducing duplication and addressing gaps in RD&D efforts. The project will identify and encourage targeted RD&D investment in technologies that will support new industries and heavy industry decarbonisation.  

To achieve the outcomes the project will: 

• Investigate current RD&D capabilities and future science and technology requirements for WA’s transition to net zero by 2050 

• Collaboratively map current capabilities and future requirements to identify RD&D opportunity gaps 

• Lead and facilitate collaborative development of net zero RD&D development pathways with industry and research organisations 

• Iteratively communicate Roadmap progress and learnings with collaborative partners. 

Proposed Benefit to WA

The project will provide a shared view between government, heavy industry and research institutions of the priorities for RD&D investment to support heavy industry decarbonisation in WA. The Roadmap will support long-term emissions reduction by providing a strategic, coordinated direction for heavy industry RD&D investment, and by attracting new industry and research partners to WA in areas of comparative advantage.  

It will also direct ongoing development of State Government RD&D policies and initiatives. It will further consider opportunities to align with and/or leverage existing state and national strategies, plans and initiatives, including the WA Innovation Strategy, the WA 10-Year Science and Technology Plan and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.