This page belongs to: Future Gas Strategy

Glossary of key terms

Term/acronym  Definition
AAU An assigned amount unit (AAU) means an assigned amount unit issued in accordance with the Kyoto rules.
Abated gas To qualify as 'abated', fossil fuel plants must achieve: near total containment of methane emissions associated with extraction, processing and transport; near total containment of end-use combustion carbon dioxide emissions both for fuel production and use; and permanent storage of the captured carbon dioxide.
ACCU

The units in which transactions between the Buyer and Seller take place.

Transactions of ACCUs occur through the ANREU.

ACCUs are credits that represent one tonne of verified carbon emissions or equivalent abatement achieved by eligible offsets projects. ACCUs are created and issued by the Clean Energy Regulator in accordance with Section 147 of the CFI Act.

ADGSM Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism
AEMO Australian Energy Market Operator
ANREU

Australian National Registry of Emissions Units

The registry in which all transactions of Australian carbon credit units take place. A Seller must have an Australian National Registry of Emissions Units account to participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund.

ANREU Act Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Act 2011
ANREU Regulations Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Regulations 2011
Bagasse Bagasse is the fibrous waste left from the crushing of sugar cane, which is used as a fuel source to generate renewable energy under the Renewable Energy Target.
Baseline The baseline is the amount of electricity above which an accredited large-scale renewable energy power station can begin to create large-scale generation certificates. We determine baselines under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001.
Baseline determination Umbrella term for all baseline determinations made by the Clean Energy Regulator, as opposed to ‘default baselines’ which exist in the absence of a determination.
Baselines

Baselines is the umbrella term used for all Safeguard baseline numbers.

Emissions baselines represent the limits that are placed on the net emissions of covered Safeguard facilities. 

Bcf Billion Cubic Feet (of gas)
BF-BOF Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace
Biomass Biomass is a consolidation of several fuel types including agricultural waste, bagasse, biomass-based components of municipal solid waste, black liquor, energy crops, food processing waste, food waste, landfill gas, sewage gas and biomass-based components of sewage, waste from processing agricultural products and wood waste.
BOE Barrels of Oil Equivalent. The barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) is a unit of energy approximate equal to the energy released by burning one barrel (158.9873 litres) of crude oil.
Carbon abatement Carbon abatement refers to both reducing carbon emissions released into the atmosphere or reducing carbon already in the atmosphere through carbon sequestration.
Carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2‑e) A measure of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide equivalence is estimated by multiplying the amount of gas by the global warming potential of the gas.
Contingent resources  Discovered resources which are potentially recoverable but not yet commercial, due to one or more contingencies. 
Covered emissions

For the purposes of the Safeguard Mechanism covered emissions are defined as scope 1 emissions, including direct emissions from fugitive emissions and emissions from fuel combustion, waste disposal and industrial process such as cement and steel making.

Some scope 1 emissions are not covered by the Safeguard Mechanism. These include:

  • legacy emissions from the operation of a landfill facility (that is, emissions from waste deposited at the landfill before 1 July 2016)
  • emissions which occur in the Greater Sunrise unit area or Joint Petroleum Development Area
  • emissions from the operation of a grid-connected electricity generator in a year covered by the sectoral baseline
  • emissions not covered under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008.
CCS Carbon, Capture and Storage
CCUS Carbon, Capture, Use and Storage
CSG Coal seam gas 
DCCEEW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 
Exploratory scenario Exploratory scenarios describe how the future might unfold, according to known processes of change or as extrapolations of past trends.
Fugitive emissions The release of emissions that occur during the extraction, processing, and delivery of fossil fuels.
Gigajoule 1 gigajoule = 1,000 megajoules
Gigawatt (GW) A gigawatt is a unit for measuring power that is equivalent to one thousand megawatts.
Gigawatt hour (GWh) A gigawatt hour (GWh) is equal to 1,000 megawatts of electricity used continuously for one hour.
Global warming potential (GWP)

GWP is a measure of how much a given mass of greenhouse gas is estimated to contribute to global warming. It is a relative scale that compares a gas with the same mass of carbon dioxide and is calculated over a specific time interval.

Emissions factors and methods, as described in the NGER (Measurement) Determination 2008, take the GWP of different gases into account. More information on GWP values and how they are used with prescribed methods for calculating greenhouse gas emissions is provided in the NGER Technical Guidelines.

Greenhouse gases Carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon dioxide equivalent (indirect), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
GSOO Gas Statement of Opportunities
Hydrocarbon Organic compounds consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of oil and natural gas.
LNG Liquefied natural gas
Low-emissions gases Refers to gases that are consistent with net zero and do not contribute to climate change when they are produced or used. This includes biomethane, hydrogen and certain synthetic gases.
LPG Liquefied petroleum gas
Megajoule 1 megajoule = 1,000 kilojoules
Megawatt (MW) A megawatt is a measurement of power. Power is the rate at which the energy is generated or used. One megawatt is equal to 1000 kilowatts.
Megawatt hour (MWh) A megawatt hour is a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1000 kilowatts for one hour.
Methane 

Primary component of Natural gas. Methane is a Hydrocarbon, which is a family of molecules consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon.

Methane is one carbon molecule surrounded by four hydrogen molecules (CH4).

NEM  National Electricity Market. The NEM interconnects five regional market jurisdictions (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania). Western Australia and Northern Territory are not connected to the National Electricity Market.
NGER National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting
NGER Act National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007
NGER Regulations National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Regulations 2008
NZEA Net Zero Economy Authority
Normative Scenario Normative scenarios depict preferable future visions without transgressing the possible.
Permeability The degree to which gas or fluids can move through a porous material, such as rocks.
Petroleum Liquid, gaseous, and solid hydrocarbons, including oil, natural gas, gas condensate, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane.
Plugged and abandoned When all the reservoir and high-pressure zones in a well are sealed with cement so that no fluid can escape.
Proved and Probable reserves (2P) The best-estimate or most likely volume of gas expected to be recovered. There should be at least a 50 per cent probability of recovery. Sometimes known as 2P or P50 reserves. By definition, reserves are commercial.
Proved, Probable and Possible reserves (3P) A high-side or upside volume of gas expected to be recovered. There should be at least a 10 per cent probability of recovery. Sometimes known as 3P or P10 reserves. By definition, reserves are commercial.
Proved reserves (1P) A low-side or high confidence volume of gas expected to be recovered. There should be at least a 90 per cent probability of recovery. Sometimes known as 1P or P90 reserves. By definition, reserves are commercial.
Reservoir A rock or geological formation that holds petroleum within the pore spaces between individual grains.
RET Renewable energy target
Retention lease A retention lease encourages the timely development of petroleum resources and provides security of title for those resources that are not currently commercially viable but are likely to become so within 15 years.
Scope The strategy specifically relates to these abated, natural and renewable gases and the industries involved in their use and production.
Scope 1 emissions Scope 1 emissions are emissions released into the atmosphere as a direct result of the activity or activities that make up the facility, such as fuel combustion for electricity generation or cement production.
Scope 2 emissions Scope 2 emissions are emissions released into the atmosphere as a direct result of one or more activities that generate electricity, heating, cooling, or steam that is consumed by the facility but do not form part of the facility. National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme reporting covers both Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions.