Jemena has reinforced that renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane should be central to any national strategy aimed at keeping the economy strong and energy costs affordable in the transition to a low-carbon future.
The company has responded to the Australian Government’s Technology Investment Roadmap, with executive general manager of gas distraction Jennifer Purdie saying it was time to challenge the notion that customers can only access renewable energy through the electricity grid.
“The Technology Investment Roadmap is an opportunity to focus on reducing emissions and identifying job and investment opportunities to ensure Australia is a world leader in renewable energy,” Purdie said.
“We support Australia’s need to meet its emissions reduction obligations and acknowledge the role gas and electricity will have in delivering this.”
Purdie said the company welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the report and to outline how renewable gases such as hydrogen and bioenergy can support the strategic plan, as well as address the energy trilemma of reliability, affordability and sustainability.
In addition, Jemena has called for a national certification program to enable customers to purchase verified and accredited zero emission gas, which will attract investors to develop a renewable gas industry that can encourage business growth and enhance Australia’s energy security.
“There is a ready market for renewable gas and we are confident that through raising awareness, unlocking seed funding and incentivising market-scale projects, Australia can transition to a lower carbon future,” Purdie said.
The Jemena gas network delivers natural gas to 1.5 million people in NSW, with the exisiting infrastructure being repurposed to support zero-carbon gases such as biomethane and hydrogen.
The company recently commenced work to demonstrate this through the Western Sydney green gas project, which is co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
“Following recent announcements for the Bioenergy Roadmap and the $300 million Advancing Hydrogen Fund, we are pleased to see genuine momentum building to support renewable gas in Australia,” Purdie said.