Tasmanian Government backs renewable gas future

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) warmly welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s Climate Change Action Plan which highlights the vital role of renewable gases to further decarbonise the state’s emissions-intensive industries.

While Tasmania has a proud nine-year track record of being at net zero emissions, this action plan demonstrates the state’s ambition to help the rest of the world decarbonise through renewable gases.

APGA chief executive Steve Davies says the roadmap, alongside the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan and Future Gas Strategy, illustrates how renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane can have an outsized role in emission reductions.

“Substituting renewable hydrogen and biomethane for natural gas is a winner,” Mr Davies said.

“In continuing its encouragement of the renewable gas industry’s development, Tasmania has substantial opportunities to solidify its energy security, reduce exposure to external gas price shocks and help hard-to-abate industries transition from coal and diesel to low-carbon and carbon-neutral sources.”

An immediate opportunity will be the arrival of the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels in 2024, which can run on LNG rather than diesel in the first instance. This can reduce the vessels’ carbon footprint by more than 20 per cent before transitioning to carbon neutral and locally produced bio-LNG in years to come.

Tasmania also supports growth of its hydrogen industry with its Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program, with the Bell Bay Hydrogen Hub gaining interest from the likes of Fortescue Future Industries, Woodside Energy, Origin Energy and ABEL Energy.

These are ideal opportunities for the Tasmanian Government to realise immediate emissions reductions from renewable gas uptake, while locking in net-zero emissions for even more industries in the future.

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The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) represents the owners, operators, designers, constructors, and service providers of Australia’s pipeline infrastructure, connecting natural and renewable gas production to demand centres in cities and other locations across Australia. Our members offer a wide range of services to gas users, retailers and producers and ensure the safe and reliable delivery of 28 per cent of the end-use energy consumed in Australia.

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