Fuel diversity is missing link in national security white paper
28 February 2016
The Australian Government's recently released Defence White Paper highlights the need for more work to be done to improve the resilience of Australia's fuel supply chain which is critical to our national security and Australia's gas fuels can be part of the solution.
Gas Energy Australia's Chief Executive Officer, John Griffiths, said "Australia's fuel supply chain is vulnerable because around 85% of Australia's crude oil supplies are imported making us reliant on overseas security and shipping environments including some of the highest tension spots in the world.
"Australia is the only member country of the International Energy Agency which is noncompliant with the requirement to stock 90 days of net oil imports," Mr Griffiths said
"Gas Energy Australia along with other organisations like the NRMA are concerned that recently identified tensions in the South China Seas – a vital shipping route – demonstrate that near total reliance on imports to meet our energy needs is unsustainable in the long term as disruptions could quickly impact on transport and health and food services.
"We can reduce our dependence on imported oil by making more use of Australian gaseous fuels like LPG and natural gas in transport and remote power generation" Mr Griffiths said.
The UNSW led report Transport Fuels from Australia's Gas Resources, prepared with input from the CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, highlights how greater use of Australia's vast gas resources would improve our energy security.
"Fuel diversity – including gaseous fuels – reduces vulnerability to international disruption, and by reducing imports reduces the total volume of oil that needs to be reserved. That lowers the quantity and the massive cost of rectifying our IEA non compliance."
Domestically produced gaseous fuels have a wide variety of applications and with abundant upstream supply and energy density are the only alternative fuels capable of displacing oil based fuels as an energy source in any meaningful way – especially for heavy applications.
"Not only will fuel diversity help security and defence capability there are environmental and economic benefits. Gaseous fuels reduce carbon emissions by up to 25%, virtually eliminate other dangerous particle matter and they can't slick or sediment if spilled on our pristine waterways."
"Australia's security is impacted by the risk to our fuel supply chains. Our gaseous fuels industry is able to help ensure that our fuel supply is robust enough to weather events outside our control and that's good not just for defence and economic resilience it helps our local environment as well.", "
More information about the role cleaner, cheaper, Australian gas fuels can play can be found at www.cleanercheaperfuels.com.au.
View the PDF here.
File downloads
- Preview Media Release - Defence White Paper DM 290216 (PDF 269.3 kb)
- Preview Media Release - Defence White Paper DM 290216 (PDF 269.3 kb)
- Preview View the PDF here. (PDF 269.3 kb)
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