Gippsland gas has a place in Australia’s energy future

 Whether it be at home or at work, catching up with friends online or family at the dinner table, the team at Longford Gas Plants have been ensuring Australians have access to a reliable supply of energy they need for more than 50 years. 

Over two million Victorians rely on natural gas for cooking, heating and hot water, and with the majority of our natural gas sold to some of Australia’s largest energy retailers our Gippsland gas helps power homes and businesses across the country. 

Esso Australia is taking steps to transition to a modern gas business, focused on continuing our much-needed supply of natural gas to Victoria and eastern Australia, whilst simultaneously reducing the carbon intensity of Gippsland gas. This involves improving the efficiency of our operations and actively identifying alternative beneficial uses for some of our emissions.

We’ve already started to hit targets within this area, with the team at Longford reducing the use of fuel gas and flare by approximately 30 per cent over the last 2 years. We achieved these reductions through optimising the energy footprint of individual pieces of equipment within the site and implementing changes to improve energy use. Small changes like these are making a big difference! The gas we’re now saving each year at Longford Gas Plants is enough to supply more than 80,000 households, well over the total domestic gas supply for the entire Gippsland region.

As we move towards a renewable energy future, gas will continue to play a central role in ensuring a reliable and secure supply of energy for all Victorians. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Energy Market Operator recently stated “natural gas will play an essential role maintaining the energy security Victorians are used to, even in a net zero future.” 

The use of gas as a back-up power supply is essential if we are to transition to intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. There may also be potential for Victoria’s comprehensive natural gas infrastructure, like Longford Gas Plants and its associated pipelines, to support the supply of more diverse energy sources in the future.

If you would like more information about our operations or our community initiatives please feel free to drop me a line at communityANZ@exxonmobil.com.