Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has welcomed the focus in the latest Grattan Institute report on renewable gas to help decarbonise Australia’s energy sector.
ENA Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dillon, said networks were already delivering projects to support the greening of the nation’s gas networks, including injecting renewable gas into networks.
As highlighted in the ENA’s recent Gas Vision 2050 report, transformational technologies such as hydrogen, biomethane, carbon capture and storage and renewable methane can all support Australia’s decarbonisation.
“The future of gas is not ‘flame out’ but rather ‘flame green.’ All options to reduce emissions from gas should continue to be investigated and tested,” he said.
“There will be some opportunities for electrification, but gas will still be required for manufacturing – which requires high energy heat that only gaseous fuels can provide – and household heating like hot water, cooking and space heating.”
“As the Grattan report notes, there is an urgent need for action to decarbonise this gas load and networks are working to deliver this via renewable gas blends for their customers.”
Yet Mr Dillon noted that the report was flawed in its proposition of a moratorium on gas connections in new residential developments in NSW, ACT, QLD and SA.
“This is an ideological approach that would deny households an important and efficient fuel of choice and potentially drive-up whole-of-system costs and increase customer bills,” he said.
“Grattan acknowledges that a moratorium will reduce customer choice but then suggests customers could choose bottled gas instead.”
“Customers want affordable renewable gas options and industry wants to deliver this. A better approach would be governments providing policy frameworks to incentivise renewable gas,” Mr Dillon concluded.
