CSIRO research shows Beetaloo projects could offset emissions

A new CSIRO report has outlined a series of offset opportunities at Beetaloo that could reduce the impact of emissions by tens of millions of tonnes.

Australia’s national science agency has identified millions of tonnes of carbon emission offsets from the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo basin prospect.

CSIRO research based on five Beetaloo production scenarios showed annual offsets could mitigate carbon emissions from the potentially billion-dollar on-shore gas project by between 6.6 million tonnes and 33 million tonnes a year.

The report was compiled by the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) – a collaboration between CSIRO, commonwealth, state and territory governments and the gas industry to provide peer reviewed scientific and environmental advice.

The report complies with recommendation 9.2 of the 2018 Pepper Inquiry, which reviewed the viability of the Territory’s on-shore gas industry.

In terms of scale, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions in the 12 months to March 2022 were 487.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

Dr Damian Barrett, Research Director of the Energy Resources Program in CSIRO Energy and Director of the CSIRO Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance.

Researchers considered four production scenarios of 365 petajoules a year and one scenario of 1130 PJ a year, with a number of end uses for the fracked gas.

CSIRO calculated total lifetime abatable Beetaloo emissions over 25 years ranged from 164 million tonnes to 826 million tonnes of CO2e.

Carbon Capture and Storage will deliver the largest source of emission abatement followed by plantation and farm forestry, fire management, emission mitigation and re-forestation planting.

CSIRO research director energy resources Damian Barrett said the agency would assist with Australia’s transition from fossil-fuel dependency to renewables.

“The key message out of the research is out of all the scenarios examined, the majority of greenhouse gas can be abated or mitigated with the options available in Australia. In other words, it’s not necessary to go into the international market to acquire carbon credits in order to mitigate,” Dr Barrett said.

Northern Territory Director of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA), David Slama.

“This will be an ongoing process as we move forward and as new information becomes available. Other revisions and new estimates will come forward so by no means is this the last word on the topic. It really is the first look at the range of options and what is possible.”

APPEA NT director David Slama said the reports emissions findings were below figures presented in arguments against the development.

“Australia’s oil and gas industry is committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 2050. The industry is a major investor in renewables, carbon capture and storage, and other emissions reduction technologies, with billions of dollars of investments,” Mr Slama said.

Environment Centre NT’s Kirsty Howey: Picture: Glenn Campbell

Environment Centre NT executive director Kirsty Howey dismissed the report.

“The report claims that unproven technology such as carbon capture and storage can be used to mitigate emissions from the Beetaloo Basin,” Ms Howey said.

“This technology has never worked at scale, has a track record of failure, and is being used by the gas industry to justify opening up new gas fields like the Beetaloo.”