WA Gas Exports Coudl Hinder Asia‘s Clean Energy Transition, Confidential Report Warns
Perth, Australia – A confidential report commissioned by teh Western Australian government suggests the state’s continued gas exports may be slowing Asia’s transition to cleaner energy sources, according to reporting by The Guardian. The findings, compiled by Deloitte, contradict assertions made by WA Premier Roger Cook regarding the role of gas in the region’s decarbonization efforts.
The report’s conclusions center on the potential for WA gas to displace renewable energy investment in Asian markets. While Cook has emphasized WA’s role in supplying “lower carbon energy” to countries like Japan through LNG, ammonia made with gas, and carbon capture and storage, the Deloitte analysis indicates that relying on gas could delay the widespread adoption of cost-effective alternatives like solar and wind. The report modeled a scenario where all WA gas exports ceased in 2031,a timeframe dismissed by government officials as “irrelevant,arbitrary and extremely unlikely.”
According to The Guardian, the Deloitte report calculated emissions savings if WA gas were used to displace coal, a point contested by energy analyst David Houlie. Houlie argues that framing gas as a “transition fuel” is misleading, stating, “Gas being slightly less climate-harming than the worst fuel doesn’t make it a ‘transition fuel’, especially when we have cost-effective alternatives like solar and wind.”
Premier Cook, in a statement, confirmed his cabinet is reviewing the draft Deloitte report, maintaining that WA gas is “playing an important role in Asia’s transition to net zero.” He highlighted recent discussions in Japan promoting WA’s energy solutions, including LNG and future green fuels.Cook emphasized Japan’s reliance on trusted trading partners for secure and affordable energy, given limited space for domestic renewable energy development.
