Moving beyond our liquefied natural gas (LNG) export expertise to establish low-emissions gas-based processing and manufacturing sector will:
- modernise Territory industry
- create new jobs
- develop highly skilled local workforces
- deliver cutting edge research and innovation opportunities
- respond to demands for cleaner, affordable transition fuel sources, domestically and internationally.
What is gas-based processing and manufacturing?
Gas-based processing and manufacturing uses natural gas to create products such as fertilisers, explosives, paper, plastics and chemicals. This delivers everyday products such as bricks, glue, clothing, eyeglasses, phones, food wrapping, medicines and medical equipment like MRI machines and prostheses.
Decarbonisation technologies are an essential component to commercialising gas-based processing and manufacturing development, while safeguarding our unique environmental, cultural and community values.
Carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) is a critical enabler to realising sector development, recognised as a vital component in the global climate change action mix to achieve net-zero emissions targets.
Why establish gas-based processing and manufacturing in the Territory?
The Territory combines abundant critical inputs, ideal proximity to market and competitive decarbonisation solutions which set the scene for a thriving low-emissions sectors with:
- Extensive natural gas reserves – exploration indicates up to 500 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in one layer of the Beetaloo Sub-basin, equivalent to more than 1,000 times Australia’s current annual domestic consumption.
- Low-cost renewables – substantial solar irradiance with expansive land areas ideally positioned to deliver competitive solar photovoltaic (PV).
- Competitive carbon abatement – proximate expansive geological structures and shared user infrastructure support low-cost CCUS.
- World-class common user infrastructure – Australian Government commitment towards marine infrastructure, land-based components and acceleration of decarbonisation solutions.
- Recognised expertise – with over 20 years’ gas experience, supporting Australia's 2020 crown as the largest global exporter of LNG.
- Proximity to trading partners – the closest Australian export hub to fast-growing economies of South East Asia, and the closest trading partner to North East Asia.
- Data centres – advancing Darwin as Australia’s digital gateway with large secure data centres connected to South-East Asia and North American.
- Critical minerals – advancing projects including copper, lithium, vanadium, rare earths, tungsten and cobalt.
- Established service and supply – proven construction, logistics, service and supply capability.
The Territory is already home to a globally significant LNG export hub and has an extensive product corridor for the transmission of utilities, gas, feedstock and products.
What are we doing?
We're collaborating with industry and the Australian Government to transform Middle Arm Peninsula into a globally competitive, sustainable, gas-based processing and manufacturing precinct with a focus on low emission petrochemicals, renewable hydrogen, carbon capture storage and minerals processing.
We’re accelerating world-scale renewable energy projects and developing one of the world’s largest CCUS hubs.
We’re building on our competitive trade position with fast growing global markets such as Asia to support their needs for transition fuels, decarbonisation solutions and future fuel industries such as hydrogen.
We’re planning sustainable new ecosystems that will position the Northern Territory as a globally significant, clean-energy leader for generations to come.
