New South Wales biomethane project gets Greenpower certificate
Australian energy infrastructure company Jemena on March 20 announced that the Malabar biomethane project in New South Wales has been formally certified by GreenPower, a government-managed renewable energy certification programme.
GreenPower Renewable Gas Certification ensures that renewable gas certificates will be issued for gas produced at the Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant (MBIP), certifying its carbon neutrality. The certification comes following an agreement between Jemena and Origin Energy in March 2023, which could potentially see Origin purchase up to 110 terajoules/year of biomethane from the MBIP.
The MBIP, a partnership between Sydney Water and Jemena, has received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The project involves the installation of gas cleaning and upgrading equipment that will be located at Sydney Water’s Malabar wastewater treatment plant. This infrastructure will upgrade biogas to biomethane and will be connected to Jemena’s natural gas network.
David Gillespie, managing director of Jemena, highlighted the significance of using renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane to complement natural gas. He said that this approach allows Australia to lower its carbon footprint, retain consumer choice, provide energy certainty to hard-to-electrify sectors, and navigate the energy transition through a low-cost pathway.
"This is an exciting next step for Australia's renewable gas industry, and it is the first time biomethane has been formally certified as meeting the environmental and social standards set by GreenPower," stated Gillespie.
“Our industrial and manufacturing customers are telling us they need gas for high heat and as a feedstock. At the same time we know they are also looking at ways to lower their carbon footprint. Certification is the next step in establishing a domestic renewable gas market which will help these customers on their decarbonisation journey,” he added.
The announcement follows Jemena's memorandum of understanding (MoU) with renewable gas producer Optimal Renewable Gas, aiming to identify suitable sites in regional New South Wales for biomethane production. Jemena will undertake feasibility and preparatory work to inject biomethane into the New South Wales gas distribution network as part of this collaboration.