The Hon. Martin Ferguson, AM MP, Minister for Resources and Energy, has announced the $70 million Coal Mining Abatement Technology Support Package (CMATSP), a component of the government’s Clean Energy Future plan.
CMATP is a technology development program aimed at maintaining the future viability and international competiveness of the Australian coal mining industry under Australia’s carbon pricing scheme.
The program aims to:
- support industry efforts to develop technologies and processes that provide future solutions to safely reduce fugitive methane emissions;
- address mine occupational health and safety issues associated with the development and deployment of abatement technologies; and
- support smaller and medium sized participants to develop greenhouse gas abatement strategies.
The scale of CMATSP grants are likely to be around $50,000 to $300,000 for discrete research projects, $500,000 to $3 million for multi-year research programs and up to $10 million for demonstration projects.
A two stage process will be used to select projects. CMATSP is now accepting expressions of interest (EOI) for the first round of annual funding. Applications will close at 2 pm EST on Friday 28 September 2012.
Applicants of suitable projects identified in the EOI stage will then be invited to lodge full funding applications under the second phase.
More information and application forms are available on the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism website at http://www.ret.gov.au/energy/clean/ctap/cmatsp/Pages/default.aspx