Compiled by ABARE and Geoscience Australia, the assessment examines Australia’s identified and potential energy resources, including renewable energy.
Hydro electricity is the biggest contributor to Australian renewable power with an installed capacity of 7.8 GW – contributing 4.5 per cent of Australia’s total electricity production. Hydro electricity accounts for 60 per cent of energy generation in Tasmania and 20 per cent in New South Wales.
Wind energy was also a major contributor, according to the assessment, accounting for 1.5 per cent of energy generation between 2008 and 2009. Australia has 1.7 GW of installed wind capacity.
The assessment said that in general Australia had “very large” renewable energy resources, but that they were largely undeveloped, a number involving technologies still at proof-of-concept or early stages of commercial demonstration.
Article continues below…High solar radiation levels over large areas of the country provide Australia with some of the best solar resources in the world, the assessment said. However, Australia’s current use of solar energy is modest, accounting for only 0.1 per cent of Australia’s primary energy consumption. This percentage mainly consists of off-grid or residential installations.
Australia was also described as having significant geothermal energy potential due to the abundance of aquifers deep in sedimentary basins.
Ocean energy (wave and tidal) is also a potential new source of energy, according to the assessment, particularly along the southwestern and southern coast, where large areas experience constant favourable wave heights of more than 1 m.
The assessment said that bioenergy currently accounts for four per cent of Australia’s primary energy consumption, with bagasse and wood waste the biggest contributors.
The assessment predicts that Australia’s primary energy consumption will increase by 1.4 per cent per year to reach 7,715 PJ by 2030, yet renewable energy consumption will only account for eight per cent of primary energy use. However, renewable energy is projected to account for 19 per cent of total energy consumption.
However the assessment also said that, if greater use of renewable energy resources is to occur, an expansion of Australia’s energy infrastructure will be needed, including the augmentation of the electricity transmission grid. This is because Australia’s energy infrastructure is currently concentrated in areas where fossil fuel energy resources are located.
“To bring renewable energy to the consumer, we need to augment electricity transmission with more flexible, decentralised grid capacity,” said Federal Minister for Energy Martin Ferguson.
Mr Ferguson also said that we needed to maintain competitive, transparent and efficient energy markets in order to encourage investment in the industry.
