We have the energy
In 1969, the year man first landed on the moon, Santos started supplying natural gas to Australia’s largest cities from deep in the outback. We’ve been unlocking Australia’s vast gas resources ever since.
Clean, reliable and affordable, natural gas can meet our baseload power needs today while dramatically reducing carbon emissions and serving as the perfect partner for renewable energy. Santos can make it happen, because we’re not just an energy company. We’re a company with energy.
Natural gas: a strategic opportunity
Natural gas is a clean, reliable and affordable energy source. Australia's abundant natural gas resources offer immediate and long-term potential to meet baseload power needs while significantly reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
With its abundant natural gas resources, Australia has the opportunity to:
- begin the transition of baseload power generation away from high-carbon coal to low-carbon gas;
- support and accelerate the integration of intermittent renewable power generation;
- supply growing Asia-Pacific demand for LNG, displacing higher-emissions fuels; and
- develop a major domestic economic driver.
The key advantages of natural gas can be summarised as follows:
- the low carbon, water and land-use intensity of gas-fired electricity generation;
- a large resource base, equivalent to several hundred years of current use;
- gas-fired electricity is a reliable, proven power generation technology; and
- its affordability as a power source.
Gas-fired power generation is the only immediate measure by which to reduce substantially the carbon intensity of baseload power generation in Australia, by transitioning away from Australia’s existing fleet of high-carbon coal-fired baseload power generation.
Modern CCGT power stations emit ~40% of the CO2 produced by existing black coal power stations and ~30% of existing brown coal power stations.
Importantly, new gas-fired baseload power generation technology already delivers upto 80% of the cuts in carbon emission reductions that might be achieved should carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies ever be successfully deployed in coal-fired power generation.
Read more about natural gas
A greater role for natural gas
In its submission to the Federal Government's Energy White Paper process, Santos called for a greater combined role for natural gas and renewable energy in meeting Australia’s future need for reliable, affordable energy while reducing carbon emissions from power generation. This was Australia's new comparative advantage in energy.
Read the Santos Energy White Paper submission
David Knox calls for Low Emissions Target
Santos CEO David Knox called for South Australia to establish a Low Emissions Target as an example of how natural gas, in conjunction with the state's 33% RET, could be used to accelerate carbon emission reduction from power generation.
Read David's address to the AICC
Natural gas: a bridge fuel for the 21st Century
Leading US Democrats John Podesta and Tim Wirth argue for greater use of natural gas in electricity generation in the US. Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff to former US President Bill Clinton, and co-chaired President Barack Obama's transition team. Timothy E. Wirth is a former US Senator and Clinton administration official, and is on the steering committee for the Energy Future Coalition.
Read Natural gas: A Bridge Fuel For The 21st Century, by John Podesta and Timothy E. Wirth
Natural Gas - A Strategic National Asset
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) has strongly promoted the potential of Australian natural gas to reduce global emissions by 180 million tonnes a year, generate $10 billion per year in government revenue, and create more than 50,000 jobs over the next 10-15 years.
Read the transcript of Belinda's address
US industry backs natural gas
America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) is a education organisation formed by North America's leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies, which produce over 40 per cent of the total US natural gas supply. ANGA's website features information, research, statistics, facts and publications.
Visit America's Natural Gas Alliance website