Gas the pipeline to lower emissions
AUSTRALIAN Pipeline Industry Association chief executive Cheryl Cartwright believes there is increasing awareness in Australia that natural gas is the logical transition fuel towards a lower carbon economy.
Speaking at the APIA’s 2009 Convention and Exhibition in Cairns yesterday, she said both wind and solar power were intermittent by nature and could not typically increase supply to handle periods of peak consumer demand.
“In an electricity network that is supplied by these technologies, there will always be the need for responsive back-up power from natural gas.
“This is why gas-fired power generation is so much a part of the current and long-term energy future in Australia – because it is highly responsive and can therefore be activated and deactivated very quickly.”
She added that gas had the potential to provide local electricity supply during peak summer demand and could reduce Australia’s emissions from the stationery energy sector by more than 75% if half of the country’s electricity was sourced from gas.
“Given that the stationery energy sector is currently responsible for around 50 per cent of Australia’s total emissions, this could be over half the government’s committed reduction target of 60 per cent by 2050.”
Meanwhile, Queensland Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Trade Michael Choi said the state’s emerging coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas industry had the potential to rival Western Australia’s.
He said current modelling indicated that a Queensland industry exporting 28 million tonnes of LNG per year could increase gross state product by around $3 billion.
The industry would also bring about 18,000 jobs and royalty benefits of around $850 million per year.
“Australia’s gas transmission pipeline industry is well-positioned for the future,” Choi added.
“Through measures such as a light-handed regulatory approach and exemptions from access and pricing regulation for greenfield pipelines, we will see the pipeline industry and the Queensland economy power ahead.”
Monday, 19 October 2009
PNN
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