By Gary Worrall | July 27, 2010The future of Australia’s energy security is one of the key agenda items at the 2010 Gaseous Fuels conference being held this week.
Hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A), conference delegates are discussing a variety of topics.
However the central theme of many presentations is securing Australia’s energy future by promoting home-grown gas fuels, including liquid propane gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
While there is still some disagreement among the presenters on exactly when the situation of ‘peak oil’ will arrive, with estimates ranging from 10 to 50 years, all agree on the need for urgent action.
Delegates heard how Australia’s known gas reserves total more than 22 billion barrels, allowing for the replacement of up to 156 million barrels of imported oil each year.
Despite the benefits, including reduced exhaust emissions against even the strict new ADR 80/03 regulations, there are downsides to the alternative fuels, such as the lack of refueling infrastructure, and also a low acceptance level within the road user network.
As a result, conference attendees agreed to begin promoting the alternative fuels to all levels of society, from consumers to regulators.