Renewable Gas- Biomethane

The future of Australia's energy system has been the subject of extensive discussion during the past several months.

The energy market operator took major measures at the start of this winter, and state and federal governments made commitments to ensure that Australians could keep their lights on and homes warm now and into the future.

The topic of renewable gas is frequently ignored while discussing nett zero.

While attention has been focused on the essential role that gas must play in our energy networks as we move towards nett zero, little has been said about the enormous potential of renewable or "green" gas or the promise of a decarbonized gas network.

One may argue that the often-overlooked but crucial missing piece in the puzzle of Australia's future secure, stable, and sustainable energy system is renewable gas employed in the country's current gas infrastructure.

Almost 39,000 kilometres of gas infrastructure are present throughout Australia. It should be regarded as a vital partner (providing firming power) to intermittent renewable generation like wind and solar generation as well as an useful long-term asset in aiding in the achievement of our emissions reduction targets.

We can also assist keep prices down for consumers by decarbonizing and repurposing existing infrastructure rather than developing new. When compared to fully electrifying (and decarbonizing) the power network, conservative estimates show that continuing to use our current infrastructure for renewable gas will save customers around $12.5 billion in annual recurring maintenance and capital investment expenses from 2050.

Also, there is currently a chance to quickly introduce new renewable gas sources that are compatible with Australia's gas infrastructure online.

The potential for green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable power, has received a lot of attention in the discussion about renewable gas thus far. The difficulty is that the technology and significant hydrogen projects at the scale required to decarbonize our gas networks are still some years away. Green hydrogen is now being blended into our networks by both Jemena and Australian Gas Networks. Yet using current technology, Australia can seize the chance to produce biomethane from biogas much more quickly.

Biomethane is simply biogas that has been extracted from waste produced in landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and agriculture.

Biomethane can be utilised in the same ways as natural gas for household heating, cooking, and hot water as well as for business and industry by filtering out impurities and pollutants. It is carbon-neutral, and there may be renewable biomethane sources around the nation that are close to gas infrastructure, allowing us to avoid building expensive infrastructure to supply houses with energy. Also, it will keep giving consumers options and a say in how they power their homes without requiring them to replace or upgrade their home appliances.

Production of power for 1.5m homes

It is also possible to start producing biomethane rather rapidly. For instance, our Malabar project, which received funding in 2020, is expected to begin mixing enough renewable gas by the end of this year to cover the energy demands of more than 6000 houses on the gas network, with the capacity to increase to the equivalent of 13,000 homes.

We anticipate that the project, which is based at our partner Sydney Water's Malabar Wastewater Treatment Plant and is co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, will prevent the emission of 5,000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere and, if scaled up to its full potential, up to 11,000 tonnes.

Around our gas network, experts have found more than 30 petajoules of possible biomethane sources. The approximately 1.5 million homes already connected to our gas network would get enough energy each year from these resources, if they were used to their full potential.

Beyond emissions reduction and energy security, Australia stands to gain from supporting the bioenergy sector, according to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's Bioenergy Roadmap, which estimates that by the 2030s, it could generate an additional $10 billion in GDP, 26,200 new jobs, and divert an additional 6% of waste from landfills.

Its promise will be more fully realised with support for investments in renewable gas sources, particularly bioenergy initiatives. More funding and assistance will be needed, nevertheless, to help this developing sector grow and realise its promise to serve Australia's energy system. the establishment of a Renewable Gas Target, comparable to the Renewable

The early 2000s Energy Goal for clean power and a national Green Gas Certification Program are two examples of how the new government could promote these developing businesses.

Finding one or two crucial pieces that can connect with others to form the rest of the puzzle is sometimes all it takes to complete a challenging jigsaw. As we try to address the challenge of our future energy needs, renewable gases, especially the frequently ignored biomethane, may be that crucial component.