
Pipelines more affordable for energy transport and storage: report
A new report issued today provides information on the cost of storing energy and transporting it from generators to users, an essential aspect of the transition to net-zero emissions usually neglected.
The Pipelines vs Powerlines: a Technoeconomic Analysis in the Australian Context report analysed the costs of storing and transporting energy via powerlines and via pipelines in several scenarios with a particular focus on options for the growing hydrogen industry.
The findings of the report on the cost of transport and storage show that we must keep our options open, APGA Chief Executive Officer Steve Davies said.
“Too often discussions on Australia’s future energy supply treat electricity and energy as the same thing,” Mr Davies said.
“Our energy system is now a mix of gases, electricity and liquid fuels like petrol providing energy for different uses, and each of these energy sources has different characteristics.”
The report, commissioned by APGA, analysed the cost of energy infrastructure in comparable situations.
“The report found that transporting and storing energy in pipelines was significantly less expensive than storing it in hydro or batteries and transporting it by powerlines,” Mr Davies said.
Read more in the Pipelines more affordable for energy transport and storage media release.