NSW gas customers will soon have access to verified and accredited renewable gas thanks to an Australian-first Renewable Gas Certification Pilot that will drive ongoing investment in new sources of green gas.
Energy infrastructure company Jemena, NSW Government-managed renewable energy accreditor GreenPower, and industry association Energy Networks Australia will together develop the certification pilot.
The pilot will be delivered by GreenPower over a minimum of two years and will inform the development of a permanent certification scheme for renewable gases.
“We are driving the call for a national certification scheme because our customers have told us they want certainty in their ability to purchase verified and accredited zero-emission gas just as is currently the case for renewable electricity,” said Jemena Executive General Manager of Energy Networks, Shaun Reardon.
“A national certification scheme will boost industry investment in renewable gases such as biomethane and hydrogen and make them available to Australian homes and businesses.”
“In the short-term it will mean our customers can lower their carbon footprint without making any changes to the way they currently use their gas appliances. In the long-term it will ensure gas remains affordable through the decarbonisation of existing gas infrastructure without the need for building new alternative forms of energy infrastructure.”
“This is an important first step towards a Renewable Gas Target, which Jemena is calling for to achieve net-zero emissions in Australia by 2050.”
The first application of the pilot will be applied to the Jemena and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) co-funded biomethane-to-grid project, located at Sydney Water’s Malabar Wastewater Treatment Plant. The pilot will be built to encompass other projects as they come online.
“Australia’s inaugural biomethane-to-grid project is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the process, share learnings and insights with industry and provide customers with a level of certainty as they strive towards their environmental targets,” said Mr Reardon.
Deloitte estimates that there is 371 petajoules (PJ) of biomethane that has the potential to be unlocked in Australia and in New South Wales, Jemena estimates that 30 PJ of biomethane is readily available near its network, equivalent to the output of 76 gigawatts of solar. That is enough to supply all current Jemena residential gas customers with carbon-neutral, green gas.
The green gas certificates will be available to all customers. Retailers will hold the certificates for residential customers and Jemena will manage the certification process for commercial, industrial and other large customers.
