The Western Australian Government has signed a new MoU with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), expanding cooperation to new and renewable energies.

 Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan hosted the signing ceremony at the Australian Hydrogen Conference (West) in Perth on 7 December.

 The MoU was signed by the Director General of Western Australia’s Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Ms Rebecca Brown and the Chairman of JOGMEC, Mr Tetsuhiro Hosono.

 New and renewable energies covered by the MoU include hydrogen, methanation, carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon dioxide capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), ammonia, and decarbonisation and low emission technologies.

 The WA Government has invested up to $170 million to help ensure Western Australia reaches its potential and becomes a global exporter of renewable hydrogen.

 The MOU signed with JOGMEC builds on a MoU signed in 2020 to promote the stable supply of mineral resources to Japan, and investment from Japan into WA.

 Japan is Western Australia’s second largest trading partner, with $33 billion of goods traded in 2021-22. Western Australia’s biggest export to Japan in 2021-22 was petroleum (including LNG), which rose by 97 per cent to $16.5 billion.

 In the same year, Japan was Western Australia’s second largest export market for iron ore, nickel ore and canola seeds, and third largest market for copper ore.

 The new MoU demonstrates Western Australia’s commitment to deepening its relationship with key trading partners across Asia, including Japan, in support of the objectives in the Asian Engagement Strategy 2019-30: Our future with Asia.

Published on: 09 December 2022