APGA commends Tasmania’s net-zero transition

The Australian Pipeline and Gas Association (APGA) has commended the Tasmanian government for its national leadership in the transition toward zero-emission gases.

APGA chief executive Steve Davies says there are ready-to-go opportunities to decarbonise Tasmania’s gas pipelines and networks today, and the Future Gas Strategy will provide certainty to the industry as it continues its decarbonisation journey toward Net Zero.

“The Tasmanian Government is a leader in the renewable energy space, and this forward-thinking strategy can serve as a template for other states to follow,” Davies said.

“In continuing its encouragement of the renewable gas industry’s development, Tasmania has substantial opportunities to solidify its energy security and, with the right policy settings, become a net-exporter of biomethane to domestic and international customers.”

The strategy also outlines a step-plan for Tasmanian users of coal and diesel to transition to cleaner-burning natural gas before ultimately using renewable gas. Davies said that this represents immediate and common-sense decarbonisation avenues in hard to abate sectors.

Tasmania is already net self-sufficient in renewable electricity through hydro power and will, through Marinus Link, become a net exporter of renewable electricity to the mainland.

Similarly, Tasmania can become a major producer of biomethane, which is harvested through the anaerobic digestion of organic matter and is a carbon-neutral fuel that can be continually replenished through sustainable farming and waste management practices.

The renewable gas offers the most technically simple and cost-effective early emission reduction opportunity for Australians and is readily usable in existing pipelines and networks. It is already extensively used in overseas markets with Copenhagen on track to use 100 per cent biomethane by 2025.

APGA has welcomed the opportunity to share its expertise as a leader of Australia’s renewable gas industry.