Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia
QueenslandWhat is Bioenergy?
Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy generated from the conversion of biomass into heat, electricity, biogas and liquid fuels.
Biomass sources include a wide range of organic materials, including agriculture and livestock waste, forestry residues, and components of municipal solid waste. The versatility of biomass as a renewable source is demonstrated by its various applications. For instance, sugarcane crops can be utilised for the production of liquid fuels, while animal manure and landfill waste can be harnessed to generate gas used for both heating and electricity production.
Australia’s Renewable Future: Bioenergy Capabilities and Potential
Net Zero is a target which many countries globally have set commitments to achieve, resulting in innovation in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation technologies.
One type of renewable energy is bioenergy. Bioenergy has the potential to displace fossil fuels in various market sectors as well as to enhance Australia’s energy security, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and advancing carbon abatement efforts.
Bioenergy technologies are experiencing significant advancements in both in front of the metre and behind the metre applications, optimising energy utilisation, bolstering grid stability, and ultimately lowering energy costs for parties choosing to take advantage of the benefits.
Over the past two centuries, methods leveraging bioenergy for heating and cooking have evolved significantly. Today, bioenergy stands as an increasingly popular and modern renewable energy source, offering diverse applications in electricity generation, gas production, fuel provisions, heating solutions, and waste management. However, unlocking the full potential of bioenergy is likely to require a concerted effort from both policy and industry fronts.
Incentivising Carbon Abatement
Australia is home to both Federal and state based programs that are designed to incentivise energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy generation and emission reduction activities, with the ultimate goal of reducing Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives provide financial incentives in the form of tradable certificates, regulatory support, and policy frameworks to encourage the adoption and expansion of energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy sources.
As such, bioenergy plants are often able to leverage the state and Federal programs to increase project viability. The table below outlines the different schemes and certificates available.
Under these programs, there are some cases, primarily in behind-the-metre applications where “certificate stacking” can be utilised to generate multiple certificate types from a single project.
| New South Wales | Victoria | South Australia | Federal | |
| Scheme | Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) | Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) | Renewable Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) | Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF)
Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) |
| Method | PIAM&V | PBA | PIAM&V DM | Industrial & Commercial Emissions Reduction (ICER)
Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) Source Separated Organic Waste (SSOW) Accredited Power Station Generation |
| Certificate Type | ESC | VEEC | REPS GJ | ACCU |
| Certificate Represents |
MWh | tCO2e | GJ | tCO2e |
Using the Measurement and Verification (M&V) method, site data is measured, collected and analysed to determine the energy savings that have resulted from replacing energy previously derived from fossil fuels energy generated with biogas. The energy or emissions savings are then converted into certificates under the relevant program, and are able to be monetised to provide a financial benefit or in depending on the certificates created, some may be surrendered to claim the emissions reduction.
Speak to Australia’s Most Versatile Certificate Creator
Specialising in certificate creation methods across Australian programs, Ecovantage assists from the first step in establishing project eligibility, through to the monetisation or retirement of the created certificates.
Get in touch with our team to discuss more about bioenergy and energy certificate creation.
