10 May 2016
APPEA welcomes the Queensland Government’s initiative to find credible pathways to a lower carbon future while noting the important role natural gas is playing to help reduce emissions.
“Almost all of Queensland’s natural gas supply comes from coal seams and gas produced in the Surat Basin is meeting growing energy needs throughout Asia and elsewhere,” APPEA Queensland Director Chris Lamont said.
“Queensland’s contribution to the global energy challenge must in part involve natural gas which is universally recognised as a cleaner energy source.
The Australian Council of Learned Academies has found that using gas to provide more baseload and peak electricity generation – combined with increased use of renewables – could slash the Australian electricity sector’s emissions by up to 50 per cent.
“Despite promising advancements in the renewable energy industry, reliability need not be limited by its potential,” Mr Lamont said.
“Additional power generation to meet load balancing requirements of renewables can come from Queensland’s vast reserves of natural gas.
“Natural gas turbines can be easily ramped up to meet demand, making natural gas a suitable partner for variable energy resources such as wind and solar.”
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