Queensland coal producers are willing and able to meet the challenges of modern-day mining and will be operating for decades to come as the world turns its attention to using higher-quality, lower carbon-emitting coal, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said today.
QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said having a superior, in-demand product backed by an industry already embracing renewable energy in its operations and heavily investing in low emissions technology will ensure the long-term future of the state’s $28 billion annual export industry and the 300,000-plus Queensland jobs it supports.
“Queensland coal mines should be the last coal mines closed in the world because it’s the best quality coal there is, and that goes for our thermal and metallurgical coal,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“The world needs Queensland coal more than ever to support the transition to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future.
“Right now, steel can only be produced commercially by using metallurgical coal, and thermal coal is the only 100 percent reliable way to produce energy.
“This will change as fast as the technology will allow and our industry will evolve accordingly, but the road to a lower emissions future is a long one that needs to be managed in an orderly and logical way.
“No-one wants to be without power and without the products that support our everyday existence.”
Mr Macfarlane said the way forward is all about reducing emissions, embracing renewables and using technology to provide the commodities and raw materials the world needs to function 24/7 in a way that meets community expectations.
“The QRC supports the Minerals Council of Australia’s ambition for our sector to achieve net zero by 2050, and I have every confidence this will be achieved,” he said.
Mr Macfarlane said the industry’s willingness to embrace low emissions technology to address climate change had been demonstrated by a report released earlier this year, which showed more than 60 percent of Queensland CEOs are actively considering hydrogen-related business opportunities, with 10 percent already committed to hydrogen projects.
More than 30 percent believe hydrogen will provide an opportunity to reduce emissions in their own business, and a further 30 percent think hydrogen could help grow their business.
