Australia’s first carbon refinery has opened in New South Wales, paving the way for future homes to be built using materials made from captured climate pollution.
Dubbed Myrtle, the MCi Carbon plant has commenced operations, taking carbon dioxide captured from local ammonia production and transforming it into stable, solid materials.
The resulting compounds will be used to manufacture everyday building supplies, including concrete, plasterboard, glass and paper.
At peak operation, the facility is expected to capture 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, converting the greenhouse gas into 10,000 tonnes of valuable industrial compounds such as magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate and amorphous silica.
These materials are in high demand across the domestic construction, manufacturing and agricultural sectors, offering a double benefit: creating new economic opportunities while actively cutting industrial emissions.
The project is also driving a local employment transition, supporting up to 50 highly skilled jobs for engineers and operators, many of whom are pivoting from traditional fossil fuel and heavy industry roles.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, praised the facility as a prime example of Australian innovation leading the charge toward a clean industrial future.
“We’re backing Australian innovation to cut emissions and create the next generation of clean industries,” Bowen said.
“Taking carbon dioxide from industrial production and turning it into materials for homes, buildings and manufacturing is exactly the kind of practical, Australian-made technology we should be backing.
“This is about cutting emissions, creating new products, and building new clean industries, literally brick by brick.”
Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon, echoed his enthusiasm, noting that the city is uniquely positioned to thrive in a cleaner economy.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we want to see in Newcastle: local know-how, local industry and local ambition working together to build the next generation of clean industries, while cutting emissions,” Claydon said.
The launch follows a AU$14.5 million investment awarded to MCi Carbon in 2024 through the federal government’s Carbon Capture Technologies Program, an initiative designed to help decarbonise Australia’s hardest-to-abate sectors.
