Man checking manometer in natural gas factory

https://epgi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Natural-Gas.png 1000 668 Admin A Admin A https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/191fafa9c1ed05bb2314052489765493?s=96&d=mm&r=g November 18, 2019 March 16, 2023

Nearly 70 per cent of Australians still use gas to cook their food, heat their water and keep their homes warm. But with environmental concerns become increasingly critical and new energy technologies on the rise, things may change. However, this needs to be balanced with Australia’s growing population. Energy systems need to meet increases in demand while remaining reliable, affordable and eco-friendly.

Australia is a gas rich country. It’s an important energy source, especially in remote areas that rely on gas generators and bottled gas. But as electricity prices become unstable and climate change action becomes more pressing, more people are calling for renewable energy to carry us into the future. What does the role of gas play in our future?

Gas Vision 2050

In 2018, an independent review into the energy sector lead by Australian Chief Scientist Alan Finkel supported the ongoing use of gas in Australia for electricity generation and a way to help reduce emissions from the energy sector. The Gas Vision 2050 report highlights how gas and renewable energy sources can support each other to achieve a near zero carbon energy sector by 2050, including a decarbonisation pathway for natural gas beyond 2050.

According to the Gas Vision 2050 reports, natural gas delivers 44 per cent of household energy while accounting for 13 per cent of household greenhouse gas emissions. 6.5 million Australians use gas mains or bottled gas and 130,000 businesses use natural gas. Australia’s gas infrastructure can currently store the equivalent amount of 6 billion Tesla powerwall batteries in gas energy.

What is the Future of the Gas Sector?

By 2050, the gas sector claims it will be able to deliver energy using reliable and secure sources while reducing carbon emissions as planned. This will be achieved using three new gas fuels:

Biogas generated from organic waste
Hydrogen produced from methane
Hydrogen produced from electrolysis

These new fuel sources can use existing energy infrastructure, eliminating the need to overhaul the entire system.

Gas as a Transitional Energy Source

If Australia turns towards a renewable-led grid, natural gas may be an essential transitional energy source. It’s abundant and less polluting than other fossil fuels while still having the desirable ability to turn on and off when required. Gas may be the energy sources that can ‘stabilise’ a future in renewables.

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