Three Cooperative Research Centres for Round 21 are finally announced, just quietly

Karen Andrews announced two new CRCs Friday, Transformations in Mining Economies and Future Energy Exports.

FenEx will, “improve the efficiency of existing LNG processes and the development of new exports like hydrogen.”

TiME will, “help keep jobs in regional communities, building on the strength of the resources and energy sectors.”

They follow Industry, Science and Technology Minister Andrews’ Sunday media-event last weekend for the new Reliable, Affordable, Clean Energy for 2030 CRC.

UWA is the FenEx research lead, joined by Curtin University, Queensland University of Technology, University of South Australia and Swinburne University.

Uni Queensland and UWA are research partners in TiME.

None of the announcements attracted much media interest which seemed a wasted opportunity for the government. Word is that the new CRCs knew they would be in business at the end of last year but according to Labor senator Kim Carr in Senate Estimates (March 4), announcements were delayed, “because the government is waiting on a convenient political timetable to make a public announcement about decisions that have been made for quite some time.”