Regional Organic Waste Holds 300 PJ Biomethane Potential, Cutting Emissions

With Australia's east coast industrial gas consumption sitting at 230 petajoules, the revelation that farm waste could provide an equivalent 96% in biomethane marks a turning point for climate action. This drop-in renewable fuel could decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors without infrastructure upheaval, but only if supportive policies unlock the 130–300 petajoule potential.

A new analysis from consultancy Blunomy, commissioned by Australian gas infrastructure company Jemena and promoted through the Renewable Gas initiative, suggests that organic waste across regional Australia could provide enough feedstock to meet 96% of the east coast's current domestic gas demand. The research addresses a common hesitation among policymakers and customers — the belief that there simply isn't enough organic material to produce biomethane at a scale that would matter. By quantifying the potential, the findings shift the conversation from whether it's possible to how to make it economically viable.

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Blunomy calculated that the east coast's total organic waste feedstock could theoretically satisfy 96% of current domestic gas usage.

Biomethane is produced by capturing the biogas naturally released during the decomposition of organic matter — manure, crop residues, food waste — and then upgrading it to a high-purity gas chemically identical to natural gas. Because it's a 'drop-in' replacement, it can be injected into existing gas networks without requiring changes to appliances or industrial equipment. This characteristic makes it particularly attractive for industries where electrification is technically challenging or cost-prohibitive, such as high-heat manufacturing. For farmers, it turns a disposal problem into a potential revenue stream: instead of burning crop stubble or paying to landfill food organics, producers could sell these residues as feedstock to biomethane plants.

The raw figures are striking. Blunomy calculated that the east coast's total organic waste feedstock could theoretically satisfy 96% of current domestic gas usage. Under realistic but supportive policy conditions, the economically recoverable portion lands between 130 and 300 petajoules per year. For context, current industrial gas consumption on the east coast is around 230 petajoules. Jemena's general manager for Future Networks and Performance, Sonia Fourie, emphasized that even the lower end of that range demonstrates 'there is definitely enough there.' She noted that the 130–300 petajoule estimate does not include the additional scale-up potential seen in European countries that have aggressively pursued biomethane, implying the ceiling could be higher with lessons from abroad.