Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Future Energy Exports CRC Conference, which showcased some of the latest research and developments in support of building WA's future energy export capabilities. I can't cover everything that was shared, but I want to highlight some of the key points that stuck in my mind.

New industries, familiar trading partners

One of the themes that emerged was the role of Japan and South Korea as Australia's strategic partners in the energy transition. As Gordon Flake, the CEO of the USAsia Centre, pointed out, these two countries were key to the growth of the iron ore and LNG industries in Western Australia, by providing the capital and the market for these resources. They also have a strong interest in energy security and decarbonisation, as they are highly dependent on fossil fuel imports and face increasing pressure to reduce their emissions. Therefore, they are likely to be the ones who will fund and consume the new energy exports from renewable sources, such as green hydrogen, ammonia, or green iron.

New technology solutions continue to proliferate

Another theme that was evident at the conference was the diversity and innovation of the technology solutions that are being developed to produce, store, transport, and use renewable energy. As you would expect at a research-focused conference, there were many examples of cutting-edge science and engineering that could potentially transform the energy landscape.

One of them was the sodium borohydride (NaBH4) technology for hydrogen production , which was presented by Curtin University. This technology uses a chemical compound that can store and release hydrogen on demand, without the need for high-pressure tanks or cryogenic cooling. Most critically, an electrolyser is not required to produce the hydrogen in the first place. Instead, the NaBH4 is converted to NABO2 to release the hydrogen, before being sent back to the source of the renewable energy for regeneration to NaBH4 (with renewable electricity as the critical input).

The catch? At the moment it has only been demonstrated at gram scale. But the researchers have secured ARENA funding to scale up the process. An interesting one to watch.

Mining has unique decarbonisation requirements

Mining operations require a lot of energy, but they also have specific characteristics that make it difficult to adopt conventional renewable energy solutions. For instance, mining sites often change over time, as the miners move from one location to another, following the ore body. This means that the energy infrastructure needs to be flexible and adaptable, to keep up with the changing demand and supply. Another example is the trade-off between truck size and electrification. In the past, larger trucks were preferred, as they could reduce the driver costs and increase the productivity. But now, with the advent of autonomous trucks, smaller trucks may be more suitable, as they could be easier to electrify.

There was much more to learn at the conference and from the work of FEnEx CRC in general. They have many great reports and other resources already available on their website.