Renewable gas,
as seen on MasterChef
Move over natural gas, there’s a new type of gas that can be used for heating and cooking – renewable gas. This year renewable gas is cooking up a storm in the MasterChef kitchen. Learn about what it is, and how it’s being showcased on Australia’s #1 entertainment show.
We’re changing gas
for a better future
Australians love natural gas. It’s a safe, reliable, cost-effective energy for the appliances we use for cooking, heating and hot water. But we can’t use natural gas forever if we are serious about reducing our carbon emissions.
Australia needs many solutions to supply sustainable energy to homes and businesses into the future – so say hello to renewable gas! Like any great recipe, it’s all about what’s in the mix. Put simply, renewable gas is usually derived from waste (biomethane) or water (hydrogen). Renewable gas can be blended into our existing gas supply over time. So whether it’s a dash, dollop, or the hero ingredient, gas is changing for good.
50%
Almost half of all household energy in Australia is provided by gas
55%
Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque.
Your home, powered by renewable gas
Renewable gas provides all the great benefits of natural gas, but doesn’t contribute any additional carbon emissions when used – making it an excellent substitution to existing fossil fuels.
When industry launched Gas Vision 2050 six years ago, the plan was to demonstrate the viability of renewable gas technologies by the mid-2020s and then roll out these technologies across individual networks and industry, with the objective of full conversion to renewable gas in line with Australia’s commitment to net-zero.
We will keep working on increasing the supply, through a number of small scale demonstration projects and you can continue to enjoy the benefits of gas as a source of energy as the industry moves towards commercial scale projects.
What is renewable gas?
According to GreenPower, renewable gases are made from renewable energy sources like agricultural waste, food waste, wastewater or renewable electricity and can have significantly lower carbon emissions compared to natural gas.
Just like renewable electricity can be made from solar or wind power, there are different types of renewable gases, including biomethane and renewable hydrogen.
How is it made?
There are a number of ways to make it, but the types of renewable gas we plan to deliver to your home will typically be produced from:
- water and electricity in the case of hydrogen
- capturing waste gases (biogas) produced by existing industries such as wastewater treatment, landfill and food, organics and agricultural waste in the case of biomethane. This biogas is then upgraded into biomethane suitable for use in homes. If these emissions were not captured and reused as biomethane, they could otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
Why renewable gas?
Renewable gas can be used to replace existing uses of natural gas while reducing carbon emissions. This is because, when burned for energy, hydrogen releases primarily heat and water. When biomethane is burned, it releases only the carbon dioxide that was absorbed from the air by organic matter (like plants). It’s considered to be carbon neutral because it doesn’t add any additional carbon emissions to atmosphere.
You won't have to lift a finger - we've got this.
Renewable gas can be safely and reliably delivered through the existing gas network.
This is aligned with our Vision for the sector. In 2017, industry released Gas Vision 2050, outlining a plan to demonstrate the viability of renewable gas technologies by the mid-2020s before rolling out these technologies across individual networks and industry, with the objective of full conversion to renewable gas in line with Australia’s commitment to net-zero.
Biomethane won’t change how your appliances work no matter how much of it you are using.
With renewable hydrogen appliances will work safely and efficiently on blends of up to 20% hydrogen by volume, with work underway to enable an efficient switch to higher levels of hydrogen that suits our customers’ needs as supply increases in the longer term.
Our demonstration projects show that renewable gas can be produced, blended with natural gas and supplied safely and reliably through the existing gas network.
Targeting 100% renewable gas by 2050
As part of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), AGN is already delivering an up to 5% renewable gas blend to over 3,000 homes in part of South Australia with 10% renewable gas planned for other parts of the country. Together, AGIG aims to transition the gas in its entire network to run on renewable gas by 2050.
2030
the whole AGIG network supplied with 10% renewable gas blend2050
the whole AGIG network supplied with 100% renewable gas
Renewable gas projects here and overseas
Reducing our impact on the environment and cutting carbon emissions has become a global focus. Countries around the world are turning to renewable gas to provide clean, reliable and renewable energy into the future.
