Australia advances bioenergy strategy and renewable gas policies

Australia is advancing several energy and climate initiatives, including the National Bioenergy Feedstock Strategy. This blueprint aims to build a domestic bioenergy industry worth up to $15 billion annually by utilizing feedstocks such as canola, tallow, and forestry waste to produce low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Industry leaders like GrainCorp have welcomed the strategy as a way to reduce reliance on imported fuels.

In the renewable gas sector, the Federal Government is consulting on a National Renewable Gas Policy to support biomethane production and integration into existing infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Queensland government has streamlined approvals for a $3 billion gas pipeline project designed to transport gas from the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin to the east coast.

On the environmental front, a review by the Climate Change Authority has raised concerns regarding the durability of carbon credits. The report found that large polluters are increasingly using credits from projects with only 25-year storage commitments, which may not sufficiently offset long-term industrial emissions. Additionally, data shows a significant disparity in social media advertising spend between the fossil fuel sector and the renewable energy industry.