Welcome to our first edition of the Australia newsletter

I am delighted to kick off the first edition of our IEEFA Australia Newsletter, offering a round-up of all the latest research from the IEEFA team in Australia. I look forward to sending monthly updates on the work we are doing. Our newsletters will include incisive reports, commentaries, government submissions and updates, providing financial analysis on the energy transition. As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of the energy sector, our team is dedicated to providing valuable independent insights and thought-provoking commentary. In future editions, you can expect to find featured reports, articles, interviews, events and our news highlights.

Key highlights from our recent research:

• Australia’s governments and regulators should work to protect consumers from gas distributors who spruik a renewable gas future while preparing for electrification
• The Middle Arm Gas and Petrochemicals Hub faces a combination of problems which makes it unprofitable for business and a red flag to the public
• Metallurgical coal has no place on critical minerals lists
• Fugitive methane emissions from coal mining and oil and gas supply have likely been grossly underestimated to date - by about 80% for coal and 90% for oil and gas
• While using hydrogen for ammonia or iron makes financial sense, directly exporting it and using it in gas distribution networks doesn’t. Neither does producing it with CCS

Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to sharing valuable insights with you in this newsletter and beyond.

Amandine Denis-Ryan
CEO, Australia
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

Our Latest Reports

'Renewable gas' campaigns leave Victorian gas distribution networks and consumers at risk

Jay Gordon & Kevin Morrison

August 17

Gas distribution networks and their industry representative bodies have been promoting the message to households that their gas network infrastructure will continue to be used under a transition to net zero emissions. These campaigns are inconsistent with the compelling evidence that electrification is the best option for decarbonising household fossil use.

Australia faces growing green iron competition from overseas

Simon Nicholas and Soroush Basirat

September 1

Australian iron ore faces growing competition in the emerging green iron market from countries and regions that produce higher-grade ore better suited to non-coal-based steelmaking.

Our Latest Commentaries

Cost inflation underlines thermal coal miners’ fragile profits and financing risks

Andrew Gorringe

August 25

Although Australia’s coal producers have reported strong profit results in the period to 30 June, elevated cost inflation is at risk of placing persistent downward pressure on future profits.

Reliability forecast confirms Australia needs to stay on track with energy transition

August 31

The latest Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO), released by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), shows the importance of keeping on track with the energy transition, by building large-scale zero-emission energy resources and increasing the uptake of co-ordinated distributed energy resources and demand flexibility.

Our Latest Submissions

Submission to the Review of the National Hydrogen Strategy

Amandine Denis-Ryan and Andrew Gorringe and Jay Gordon and Kevin Morrison

August 23

Submission to Inquiry into Proposed Amendments to the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act

Kevin Morrison

July 14

Submission to the Climate Change Authority: Setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets

Amandine Denis-Ryan and Jay Gordon

June 29

In The News

Coal

Australian Institute: You must be coking! Are new coal mines OK if they help make steel?

Sydney Morning Herald: Australia vastly underreporting methane pollution, report finds

Gas

The AFR: Gas pipelines got financial breaks while touting ‘renewable gas’

Steel

Bloomberg: Mining Giant Looks to Tiny Microbes to Cut Stubborn Steel Emissions

Daily Mail: Climate changing for financing fossil fuel expansion

IEEFA Asia Pacific Insights