LETA - Low Emission Technology Australia

What LETA - Low Emission Technology Australia does

LETA (Low Emission Technology Australia) is a Brisbane-based, not-for-profit investment fund established in 2006 that pools capital from member companies — primarily drawn from the Australian coal industry and expanding to other hard-to-abate sectors — to accelerate the development and deployment of low-emission technologies. The organisation invests across the full carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) value chain, including solid sorbent and potassium carbonate post-combustion capture technologies (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, KC8 PACER), the 8 Rivers Allam-Fetvedt Cycle for oxy-fuel power generation with inherent CO2 capture, catalytic ventilation air methane (VAM) abatement with Mining3, CO2-to-materials conversion (SGC Coal2Carbon producing carbon nanotubes and graphite), low-cost seismic storage monitoring with CO2CRC, and low-pressure low-temperature liquefied CO2 shipping via the FEnEx CRC Captured Emissions Shipping Study.

LETA operates a consortium-based go-to-market model that unites Australian industries, federal and state governments, research institutions (CO2CRC, Mining3, FEnEx CRC, the Universities of Wyoming and Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and international trading partners (POSCO, SGC Energy, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, EPRI, KEPCO, the Carbon Recycling Fund Institute in Japan, GTI Energy in the US, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, JSW Steel, Hyundai Steel, BHP, Chevron, Mitsui). Deployment decisions are made through co-investment and project participation rather than commercial pricing, and LETA does not sell products or services; "member contributions" of A$400m+ since 2007 have unlocked a total investment pool of A$1.2b.

The company's central thesis is preserving the export competitiveness and economic viability of Australia's hard-to-abate industries (steel, cement, chemicals, alumina, lime, gas processing, metallurgical coal mining — supporting ~130,000 jobs and A$130b+ in exports). Independent EY-Parthenon modelling cited by LETA estimates a fully networked east-coast CCS industry could add A$66b to GDP, support 15,250 new jobs, and enable up to 17–50 million tonnes of CO2 capture annually. The organisation is led by CEO Mark McCallum and Chair Mark Jacobs and is governed as a private, member-funded entity with no parent company and no public listing.

Name

LETA - Low Emission Technology Australia

Legal name

Low Emission Technology Australia

Website

https://letaustralia.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LETA is a Brisbane-based, not-for-profit investment fund founded in 2006 that pools contributions from Australian coal and hard-to-abate industry members to accelerate carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), low-carbon hydrogen, and methane abatement technologies across Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Technology Investment Fund

NAICS

Support Activities for Coal Mining (213113), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Bituminous Coal & Lignite Mining (1220)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage (BECCS/Bioenergy with CO₂ Capture) (EUABAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

CO₂ Transport & Export Infrastructure for BECCS (Pipelines, Truck/Rail, Ship, Hubs) (EUAAALAE), BECCS Project Development & Integration (Permitting, FEED, EPC Interface) (EUAAALAA)

Keywords

• Carbon capture investment
• Low emission technology
• CCUS project funding
• Methane abatement programs
• Industrial decarbonisation fund

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Contributions and Industry Investment: LETA is funded by contributions from its member organisations, primarily from the Australian coal industry, who contribute to a pooled investment fund used to accelerate low emission technology projects. Members benefit from co-developed technologies and preserved export demand.
2. Project Co-Investment: LETA co-invests alongside industry partners, international trading partners, and government programs to develop and deploy low emission technologies. Returns are realised through technology advancement and industry decarbonisation rather than direct financial returns.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LETA is a not-for-profit investment fund established by the Australian coal industry that pools member contributions to co-invest in low emission technologies for hard-to-abate sectors. Its portfolio spans carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), catalytic methane abatement from coal mines, low-carbon hydrogen production with CCS, CO2 conversion into value-added materials, and low-pressure liquefied CO2 shipping research.

Product overview

LETA is a not-for-profit investment fund that accelerates the development of technology solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from critical industries like steel, cement, and power generation. The portfolio consists of investment projects spanning carbon capture technologies (Kawasaki Solid Sorbent, KC8 PACER), CO2 utilisation (SGC Coal2Carbon), power generation with integrated capture (8 Rivers Allam Cycle), CO2 storage research (CO2CRC Otway Stage 4), methane abatement (Mining3 VAM), and CO2 transportation infrastructure (FEnEx CRC). These investments support Australia's industrial decarbonisation through direct project funding, international partnerships, and commissioned research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LETA Associate Membership A membership programme that allows organisations from hard-to-abate industries, research institutions, technology providers, and international trading partners to contribute to a pooled investment fund and participate in LETA's low emission technology portfolio, webinars, and consortium projects.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries Solid Sorbent Carbon Capture Project

Quantifiable outcome

• A$66 billion addition to national GDP from east coast CCS deployment; 15,250 new jobs supported; up to 50 million tonnes CO2 captured annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• POSCO N.EX.T HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026LETA invested A$3.48m in POSCO's N.EX.T Hub at the Pohang Steelworks in South Korea to accelerate carbon capture technology development. The project de-risks technology choices for POSCO's planned larger demonstration, targeting emissions reduction from blast furnace steelmaking.
• SGC Energy (South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026LETA provided A$1m co-funding for SGC Energy's Coal2Carbon project — a world-first initiative converting captured CO2 from a coal-fired power station into carbon nanotubes and graphite for EV batteries and semiconductors, at SGC's Gunsan facility.
• GTI EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025LETA invested in GTI Energy's ROTA-CAP advanced carbon capture technology being tested at U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson facility in Pennsylvania, USA. The project also includes Amrize (formerly Holcim US) and Enbridge, supported by the US Department of Energy.
• CCUS Hub Study Consortium (ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, JSW Steel, Hyundai Steel Company, BHP, Chevron, Mitsui & Co., Hatch, Pace CCS, McDaniel, Global CCS Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025LETA joined the CCUS Hub Study consortium in 2025 as a new industry partner, contributing industry-leading expertise on global lower-emission technologies. The consortium completed Phase 1 assessing over 3,000 sites across Asia-Pacific and shortlisted five hub locations in India (two), Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. Phase 2 will undertake detailed engineering and commercial analysis.
• Carbon Recycling Fund Institute (Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LETA became the first foreign organisation to support the Carbon Recycling Fund Institute in 2025, helping accelerate CO2 utilisation technologies. LETA's contributions supported the CRF in awarding grant funding to 22 projects in 2025 across CO2 recycling and utilisation.
• Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024LETA and PRI signed a five-year MOU (with renewal options) to drive advancements in net zero technologies targeting both climate change mitigation and sustainable economic benefits. The partnership integrates expertise across geology, ecology, energy, and environmental science.
• Kawasaki Heavy IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024LETA and Kawasaki signed an MOU to cooperate in the development and deployment of Post Combustion Capture (PCC) technology. Kawasaki is a leading innovator in carbon capture (Kawasaki CO2 Capture — KCC). The MOU includes joint development of solid sorbent carbon capture technology capable of reducing operating costs by up to 50%.
• Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" LINE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the CCUS Hub Study consortium as the strategic expert in CO2 shipping technology, deepening cross-industry collaboration from a maritime transportation perspective.
• Kobe Steel LTDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the CCUS Hub Study consortium bringing deep technical steelmaking experience and abatement commitments to the group.
• EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute)coreTechnology or IntegrationEPRI prepared a report for LETA on Australian coal with CCS producing clean hydrogen for Japan at under USD $4/kg, examining a Japanese site with offshore CO2 storage in Malaysia. EPRI is a leading independent non-profit research organisation for the electricity sector.
• KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEPCO is listed as a LETA partner under the partners snapshot, cooperating on low emission technology development with Australia.
• University of Wyoming School of Energy ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLETA and the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources established an MOU for collaboration on low emission technologies, research exchange, and innovation.
• KC8 Capture TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLETA collaborates with KC8 Capture Technologies on the PACER project — developing potassium carbonate-based carbon capture for cement production, targeting up to 95% capture rate at Cement Australia's Gladstone kiln.
• Cement AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCement Australia hosts the PACER carbon capture trial at its Gladstone kiln, representing a key Australian deployment site for low emission cement technology.
• Mining3coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLETA partners with Mining3 on the Catalytic VAM Abatement Commercialisation Program — developing catalytic oxidation technology to mitigate low-concentration methane from mine ventilation air in Australian underground coal mines.
• CO2CRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLETA is the largest non-government funder of CO2CRC and provided A$4.84m for the ECSO (Enhancing Carbon Storage Opportunities) project at the Otway International Test Centre in Victoria, developing low-cost seismic monitoring for CO2 storage operations.
• FEnEx CRC (Future Energy Exports CRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLETA supports the FEnEx CRC Captured Emissions Shipping Study exploring low-pressure, low-temperature liquefied CO2 shipping solutions, with partners from Australia, Japan, and South Korea including JX Nippon, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Osaka Gas, and deepC Store.
• CarbonNetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbonNet is listed as an associate member in LETA's member snapshot, contributing to carbon capture and storage research and development in Australia.
• 8 Rivers CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner8 Rivers Capital is listed as an associate member in LETA's member snapshot and is developing the Allam-Fetvedt Cycle for next-generation power generation with integrated carbon capture.
• CO2CRC (listed as associate member)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCO2CRC appears as an associate member in LETA's member snapshot alongside other research and technology organisations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Climeworks: Swiss direct air capture (DAC) technology company and a leader in the carbon removal space. Comparable as a CCUS technology provider, though focused on DAC rather than point-source capture for hard-to-abate industries.
• Carbon Clean: UK-based point-source carbon capture technology company offering modular post-combustion capture solutions. Comparable as a CCUS technology provider for hard-to-abate sectors, though operating as a venture-backed commercial vendor rather than an industry coalition.
• LanzaTech: US-based carbon recycling company converting industrial CO2 emissions into fuels and chemicals via gas fermentation. Comparable as a CO2-to-value materials/utilization technology developer, similar in concept to LETA's Coal2Carbon project with SGC Energy.

Direct peers

• CO2CRC: Australian cooperative research centre for low-emission technologies and CCS, of which LETA is the largest non-government funder. Directly comparable as both are Australia-based CCUS-focused entities with overlapping membership and project portfolios, including the Otway test centre.
• Global CCS Institute: An international knowledge-sharing not-for-profit accelerating the deployment of CCUS technology globally. Highly comparable to LETA given its similar non-profit, member-funded model and mission to drive CCS deployment, though it focuses on knowledge facilitation rather than direct investment.

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: A major Japanese industrial conglomerate with a leading commercial CO2 capture technology (KM CDR Process) deployed globally. Comparable as a CCUS technology investor and provider, though operating as a commercial manufacturer rather than an industry-funded investment fund.
• 1PointFive (Occidental): Occidental's carbon management business developing large-scale CCS hubs (Stratos, Baytown, King Ranch) and direct air capture (via Carbon Engineering acquisition). Comparable in CCS hub development ambition, but operating as a commercial business unit of a major oil major rather than a not-for-profit fund.
• ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions: ExxonMobil's CCS business unit developing one of the world's largest CCS hubs in Houston. Comparable as a major CCS infrastructure developer, though operating at much larger commercial scale and integrated within a major oil and gas company.

Others

• Mission Innovation: International government-led initiative to accelerate clean energy innovation, including the Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge. Comparable as a multi-country, multi-stakeholder CCUS accelerator, though operating at the policy and funding coordination layer rather than direct project investment.

Regional players

• Northern Lights CCS: Norway-based open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure project operated by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies. Comparable as a CCS infrastructure platform, but geographically focused on Europe rather than Asia-Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LETA - Low Emission Technology Australia