NARA Treaty celebration with Federal Government and Japanese partners for 50th anniversary of the Australia-Japan Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
Energy partnerships will play a key role in the next 50 years of relations between the two countries.
Stable, secure supply of ammonia for co-generation is of great interest to Japan.
Canberra, Australia - Fifty years ago Gough Whitlam and Takeo Miki signed the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan, otherwise known as the NARA Treaty. Who knew half a century on it would warrant a two day conference and a gala dinner celebration.
This week the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee turned up in Canberra in force, with all parties using the opportunity to cement the foundation for another 50 years of friendship and business. In addition to celebrating 50 years of past energy partnership, there was also a focus on the future; ammonia being a key element of it.
Charles Whitfield, chairman of NH3 Clean Energy, and Chief Executive Stephen Hall, were in Canberra doing the rounds of ministerial offices with Japanese partners.
Whitfield, formerly of Citigroup, and lithium turnaround Galaxy Resources, has two decades working in clean energy and is now focused on clean ammonia.
Working alongside their Japanese partners, Whitfield and Hall held a series of meetings with the offices of the following Federal Ministers:
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Special Minister of State
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
They also met with representatives of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Japan is relying on ammonia-fuelled co-generation for power as well as new demand coming from their ammonia-fuelled ship engines, and operating ammonia-fuelled ships. Japan is looking for regional suppliers of clean ammonia. Australia has vast gas reserves, proximity to Asia and stable environment. This makes a viable clean ammonia project such as NH3 Clean Energy's WAH2 in the Pilbara an obvious source of supply.
Japanese counterparts characterised the relationship with Australia increasingly as one of energy security and de-carbonisation partnership, rather than Australia acting solely as a supplier of energy commodities to Japan.
"Fifty years on from the NARA Treaty, this forum reinforced for us that the next chapter of the Australia-Japan relationship will be written, in part, through energy partnerships like the one NH3 Clean Energy is building. The message from our Japanese partners and counterparts was consistent and clear: they are looking for pragmatic, investable projects that can supply ammonia at real volume, not pilot plants and aspirational policy. That is exactly what WAH2 is designed to deliver," says Charles Whitfield, NH3 Clean Energy Chairman.
About us:
NH3 Clean Energy Limited (ASX: NH3) is an Australian company focused on Future Energy project development and Future Energy materials exploration and project development.
NH3CE is developing a business to deliver decarbonized hydrogen (low-emission ammonia) into export and domestic markets at scale, via its WAH2 Project. The Company plans to use renewable energy to the greatest extent practicable.
NH3CE 100% owns the McIntosh Nickel-Copper-PGE project and the Halls Creek Gold and Base Metals project in Western Australia. The Company has two earn-in arrangements on its Graphite properties. To learn more please visit: www.nh3ce.com
Contact details:
NH3 Clean Energy Chairman Charles Whitfield | [email protected]
JMM Investor and Media Relations Wilamina Russo | [email protected]
