Advantages of a Renewable Gas industry

Displacing or replacing natural gas with biomethane and renewable hydrogen will support the energy transition and lower emissions, helping Australia to achieve its net zero targets. Many Australian gas distributors aim to transition their networks to supply and store primarily renewable gases by 2050.

Electrification isn’t always an option for everybody. Manufacturing steel, iron, aluminium products, cement, chemicals, building materials and much more requires high temperatures or chemical feedstocks - not a power-point. These industries, many of which rely on gas for round-the-clock operations, are responsible for around 30 percent of the world’s annual CO2 emissions. Renewable gas, like biomethane, could support a more efficient decarbonisation pathway for thousands of Australian manufacturers.

Renewable hydrogen and biomethane can both be stored in existing gas networks – kind of like an underground battery - and be used for heat and power generation when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing. Renewable gas can create a reliable backup for other renewable energy sources.

In fact, it is all about choice. Households, businesses and industry have choice of energy sources today, and research tells us they all want to have that choice in the future. Renewable gas options, such as biomethane, could mean customers can continue to choose how to cook and heat homes and businesses, without the cost and burden of changing appliances and systems.

The transition to renewable gas, like biomethane, uses existing infrastructure. This means additional renewable energy options and solutions can be delivered to more people, more businesses, more quickly and more efficiently. It also means we don’t need to spend more money on lots of new energy distribution systems and infrastructure.

Thinking about an EV? Did you know fuel-cell EVs run on renewable gas. Renewable hydrogen can be used to power fuel-cell electric vehicles. In fact, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles can travel further than most standard battery EVs and provide more power to larger vehicles like trucks and buses.