7 December 2021
Researchers and industry are invited to join us for the inception meeting of the RACE for 2030 B5: Anaerobic digestion for electricity, transport & gas Opportunity Assessment work theme.
The work group will investigate and prioritise the potential opportunities of biogas to provide affordable and dispatchable renewable energy through innovative technology and business models across the biogas value chain.
As well as detailing the work plan and process for this group, during this first meeting we will have a presentation from ARENA on its newly released Bioenergy Roadmap for Australia and the Clean Energy Regulator presenting on the Emissions Reduction Fund method for biomethane.
Presenters for this inception meeting:
Alex Grant Associate Director, Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Jet Shoon Chong Regulatory Officer, Clean Energy Regulator
Associate Professor Prasad Kaparaju Griffith University
Jarrod Leak CEO, Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity
When: Tuesday 7 December at 3:30 pm AEDT
This event has now passed. Please email a2ep@a2ep.org.au if you are interested in being involved.
We’re looking to build a small group of industry leaders to inform an assessment of opportunities for the development of biogas in Australia. This Industry Reference Group will work with academic and other partners to quantify potential, identify pathways and recommend priorities for action. This six-month project will set a course for industry-led research, development and demonstration over the next decade.
Why you should be involved
As a member of the Industry Reference Group (IRG) for this RACE for 2030 work stream, you will have the opportunity to help shape the future of research and development of the Australian biogas industry, which will play an important role in the decarbonisation of industry. Through the IRG you will have opportunities to connect with and learn from other technology experts and other industry leaders. The knowledge gained from participating should aid your own work.
Background on the challenge this work them is addressing
Biogas is a highly versatile renewable biofuel and can provide several economic and environmental benefits such as decentralised power generation, energy security, continuous and dispatchable energy source and finally assist in decarbonisation of Australian economy. The Australian biogas industry is emerging. In 2018-19, electricity generation from 242 biogas facilities in Australia was about 1,332 GWh/year, accounting for 0.5% of the national electricity generation. Unfortunately, only 50% of Australia’s 122 landfills actually utilise the biogas for power generation. Moreover, there is a huge potential to utilise organic wastes from agriculture, agro-industries and households for biogas production. A recent study indicates that the biogas potential in Australia is estimated to be 103 TWh. However, there are several barriers preventing its wide potential to be fully deployed, ranging from regulatory, economic, but also lacking a framework allowing for new business models and services to transform such market.
The objective and structure of this project
This project will investigate the full biogas value chain to identify gaps and opportunities with respect to policy and regulation, infrastructure, economic setting and business practice, technology, and community engagement. From this a roadmap will be developed to realise the full potential of anaerobic digestion for generating power and displacing fossil fuel and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
How can you be involved?
We are seeking involvement from interested industry stakeholders to participate in several industry reference group meetings which will take place over the remainder of 2021. The IRG meetings are via Zoom and run for 1.5 hours on average. Each meeting has a specific purpose as detailed below. We are also seeking industry representatives to participate in focussed work groups, also detailed below.
To participate in this project please email a2ep@a2ep.org.au.
The team leading this project:
Associate Professor Prasad Kaparaju, Griffith University (Project Leader)
Professor Long Nghiem, University of Technology, Sydney
Associate Professor Andrea Trianni, University of Technology, Sydney
Dr Rowena Cantley-Smith, University of Technology, Sydney
Jarrod Leak, CEO, Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP)
Dr Rebecca Cunningham, UTS-ISF, Sydney
A/Prof Brent Jacobs, UTS-ISF, Sydney