b'Education matters MS: I think that digitalisation willand do field trips to collect the data.stage for years but more recently accelerate the clean energy transition.Instead we analysed and synthesisedHydroma (the hydrogen company) has Weve seen innovation in artificialour data and this produced some prettybeen supplying electricity to the local Intelligence, block chain technology,amazing results. We delivered 100 newvillage and plans to export the natural Internet-of-Things, and crowd-sourcinginterpretive datasets, consisting ofhydrogen. consider for example how rapidly theover 1000 new layers across all areas ofTo enable a natural hydrogen industry, COVID-19 vaccine was developed usinggeoscience in key regions of the state.mining and/or petroleum laws will need international data sharing. I think anThese have been published online andto be amended to include hydrogen. enormous amount of collaboration iswill accelerate our understanding of theSouth Australia has already done this required to achieve net zero globally. states geology and mineral prospectivity.and recently granted exploration It will require the use of high- They are available for download from ourlicences for hydrogen in the State. performance computing, algorithms,website. Western Australia also has the potential modelling (for example optimising windMP: At CSIRO, we are using your datasetsfor natural hydrogen and the GSWA and farms), and digital twin technologyand believe that you are doing a greatCSIRO are already doing research in (where our real life environment isjob. And the dataset systems are muchthisarea.virtualised). Organisations could plan,more convenient than they were before. The specialist skills required will depend optimise, operationalise and manageMS: Yes, and to answer your question,on the type of hydrogen - natural or their clean energy asset within a virtualour Geoscience Data Transformationmanufactured. A host of specialists world. Strategy is well underway. This strategywill be required, including geologists, will ensure we digitalise and transformprobably specifically hydrogen Specific education might includethe way we collect, use and deliver ourspecialists, because the technical and degrees in computer sciencedata. We successfully secured $10.6M inscientific knowledge of natural hydrogen state government funding to fast tracksystems is still quite limited.and engineering, data science,the delivery of this strategy over the next information processing butfour years. Historically, resources sector geologists have been either oil-and-gas or more broadly might includeMP: I am looking forward to seeing whatsminerals geologists, but exploration dual degrees like marketingcoming out of this project. My nextfor natural hydrogen might require all and information technology toquestion is about hydrogen. What kindthese skills as it can be associated with of specialists are required to pursue thehydrocarbons in sedimentary basins and communicate how digitalisationhydrogen economy in Australia? also with crystalline basement terranes.will benefit the communityMS: There is potential for bothOther specialists will include industrial manufactured and natural hydrogen inchemists, various engineers (wellsite, The impetus for clean energy has beenAustralia. In the 19th century the worldprocessing plant, pipeline, electrical), from societal pressure on world leaders,was manufacturing gas (town gas)geophysicists and environmental through people communicating globallyby burning coal, but large natural gasscientists. The transition to renewable via the internet and social media. Peoplereserves were later discovered, whichenergy is a really interesting space have more power than ever beforewere cleaner and cheaper and so webut it will take patience, international to instigate change and this is moreexplored for those instead. collaboration and massive investment evident now that it has ever been. Thisto develop. We need to consider is why marketing and messaging needsthings like the best use of the land, to be targeted, specific and honest, toWestern Australia also has theaccessibility to infrastructure, expense counteract the disinformation and fakepotential for natural hydrogento the consumer, sustainability and, of news. and the GSWA and CSIRO arecourse, regulation. Im curious to see So, specific education might includealready doing research in thiswhat happens with the large direct-air carbon capture and storage facilities. degrees in computer science andarea How much CO 2can we safely remove engineering, data science, informationfrom the air in perpetuity? How will this processing, but more broadly mightbe regulated globally?include dual degrees like marketing andHydrogen could be a case of history information technology to communicaterepeating. Global economies areThe issue of land usage conflict is how digitalisation will benefit thealready manufacturing hydrogensomething that I deal with in my role community. from hydrocarbons and water butdaily at the Geological Survey. We are its expensive, utilises a lot of naturallooking at the compatibility of emerging MP: Thats great. I havent thought aboutresources and has the potential toindustries with other land use. The new this in this way. So, what do you do at thecause land use conflict as the renewableindustries need an equal opportunity GSWA to ensure digitisation of your workinfrastructure required to make greento develop for the benefit of Western and digitalisation of the sector? hydrogen in particular can take up a lotAustralians, but we do need to ensure MS: We are focussed on our data. Theof land i.e. solar farms. we dont develop one industry to the role of GSWA has typically been toCountries like Mali have shown, though,detriment of another.collect data sets and produce tools thatthat natural hydrogen as a source ofMP: Can you share an example of what mitigate exploration risks for the state.electricity has enormous potential. Thisthe Geological Survey of Western But during COVID we couldnt travelproject has been in the experimentalAustralia is doing in this field to ensure APRIL 2022 PREVIEW 28'