Professor Sally M. Benson is the Precourt Family Professor of Energy Science & Engineering at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and the Woods Institute. 
 
A global authority on carbon capture and storage and net-zero energy systems, she co-directs the Stanford Center for Carbon Storage and the Stanford Carbon Removal Initiative. From 2021 to 2023 she served in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy as Deputy Director for Energy and Chief Strategist for the Energy Transition. 
 
Previously, Professor Benson led Stanford’s Precourt Institute for Energy (Director/Co-Director, 2014–2020) and the Global Climate & Energy Project (2007–2019). Her honours include the Greenman Award (2012); she is a Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (2023) and an International Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (2024). 

In October 2024, Santos achieved a transformational milestone with the delivery of the Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage (Moomba CCS) project, marking a very significant step in Santos’ three hub CCS strategy.  In its first year of operations Moomba CCS safely stored 1.3 million tonnes of CO2e.  In November 2025 Moomba CCS achieved another major milestone with the largest single issuance of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from the Clean Energy Regulator.  This paper provides a project update on Moomba CCS covering the first year of operations. 

Chevron believes in the role carbon capture and storage (CCS) can play in a lower carbon world.  In Australia, we are well placed to take advantage of this technology, and we are focused on leveraging our expertise to advance CCS technologies.  David Fallon, General Manager – Lower Carbon Execution Australia will outline the role CCS can play – both here in Australia and across the Asia Pacific via partnerships with our key trading partners.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) remains positioned as a proven and practical decarbonisation solution that leverages Mitsui’s global conglomerate reach and utilises our strengths and partnerships across the E&P/LNG/Chemicals sectors.  A portfolio of projects are being advanced globally, with the pace of development strongly influenced by demand and government policy.

As the world tries to build net-zero emission energy systems, this real-world energy supply reality needs to be confronted. Despite pledges and aspirations to replace hydrocarbons, their use is essential, ubiquitous and growing to meet the needs of expanding economies and populations.

This makes reducing emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels while maintaining access to them for energy security and affordability the pre-eminent global and local energy challenge we face.

CCS technologies offer promise as the answer to that challenge. Yet there is a growing investment gap, with current CCS investment a fraction of what is required to get any transition to net zero energy on track. Australia is a vital global player in the development of CCS technologies and solutions.

End Session Address