Gas transition paper invites Kiwis to have a say

The Government released its Gas Transition Plan issues paper this month, and is inviting Kiwis to have a say.

The paper outlines the role the Government sees for gas in the energy transition and how we could reduce our reliance on it in the future. But it is unequivocal; there is a role for gas as part of the transition to a low-carbon energy future.

And according to the paper, the opportunity to produce hydrogen gas, and biogas from organic waste, that can be added to our gas pipeline could be on the cards in the future.

“There may be an opportunity to reduce reliance on fossil gas through expanding the use of biogas blends in existing fossil gas infrastructure. The timing and scale of this opportunity to offset fossil gas use is uncertain but promising,” the transition paper says.

Natural gas and LPG will be required for some years yet, but low-carbon, renewable biogas could have an increasing role to play, the paper says.

Continuous hot water, warm homes, cooking and barbecuing – it is hard to imagine life in Aotearoa without it, GasNZ chief executive Janet Carson says.

Our electricity system also depends on gas to cover the gaps in electricity generation when hydro storage is low, the sun’s not shining and the wind’s not blowing.

When disaster strikes – such as the Christchurch earthquakes or Cyclone Gabrielle which hit Te Tairāwhiti, Wairoa and the Hawke’s Bay regions hard – gas kept people fed and warm while the power was restored.

While unlikely that a complete transition from fossil gas to biogas could be achieved in the medium term, smaller volumes of biogas and hydrogen blended in the network could be feasible in the short-term.

Carson says developing the renewable gas sector will give the two million Kiwis who directly rely on gas every day the reassurance that their fuel of choice will continue to be available – providing all the benefits of gas, while also helping to reduce our carbon emissions.

“Let’s talk seriously about the future of gas and what it will take to get some serious investment in hydrogen gas and in biomethane. And let’s see what Kiwis think.

“The more energy options we have, the better for consumers and communities. Let’s make sure gas, in its many forms, is one of those options.”

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The Government is looking for feedback on some of the key issues it has identified. It wants to hear how New Zealanders rate the importance of:

·         biogas in terms of reducing emissions from fossil gas

·         hydrogen in terms of reducing emissions from fossil gas use

·         the development of renewable gas trading market to support the uptake of renewable gases

·         carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) as a means of reducing emissions from fossil gas use

·         gas storage as a transition to a low-emissions economy.

It also seeks feedback on its position that LNG (liquid natural gas) is not a viable option for New Zealand.

The Government is seeking written submissions on the issues raised in the paper by 2 November 2023. You can make a submission by:

·         completing the survey on the MBIE website (www.research.net/r/GasTransition)

·         emailing your submission to gastransition@mbie.govt.nz

See the issues paper here.