The Centre is a high level project involving many Australian business, government groups and, building on the burgeoning relationship with China, a number of Government agencies from the Republic.

"We are grateful to the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Ministry of Energy for funding support to facilitate research collaboration between myself and the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute for Coal Conversion," said Professor Dong-ke Zhang, Founding Director of the Centre, said at the opening yesterday.

"Improvements in power generation technologies and utilisation of coal wastes are just two ways the WA fuel and energy industry is set to benefit from collaboration with the new Centre for Fuels and Energy.

The new Centre was officially opened today by the Hon. Eric Ripper MLA, WA Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Energy, and Professor Lance Twomey AM, Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University of Technology.

It aims to become a world-class facility for sustainable energy research and development (R&D), education and demonstration.

"The Centre for Fuels and Energy is currently the only research facility of this kind in WA, providing an important research node for the Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD)," Professor Zhang said.

"We are committed to excellence in R&D and an industry focus, and I wish to acknowledge the WA Government, CCSD, Chemeq Ltd, BHP-B, Wesfarmers, Griffin Coal Mining Group, Western Power, Dyno Nobel and Environmental Solutions International Ltd as well as the Chinese Academy of Science, for substantial and continuing support."

"The Centre for Fuels and Energy now has more than 20 members including eight senior researchers, 10 postgraduate scholars and three supporting staff, as well as adjunct researchers and visitors," he said.