Resources Methane Abatement Fund

The Resources Methane Abatement Fund (the program) will run over 2 years from 2023-24 to 2024-25. The program supports the Australian Government’s legislated emissions reductions targets and commitments to the Global Methane Pledge. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28-times greater than carbon dioxide.  The resources sector, specifically coal and gas production, is the second largest source of methane, both in Australia and globally.  

Demand for coal and gas is expected to remain significant over the coming decades, even as the world transitions to low emissions technologies. Even under the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) most ambitious Net Zero Emissions scenario, demand for coal in Asia-Pacific is projected to exceed 1 billion tonnes per year in 2050, and demand for gas will be around two thirds of that today.

Reducing methane emissions from the resources sector will be an important part of the transition to net zero, both in Australia and overseas. However, there are currently limited technologies for abating methane emissions from the resources sector, particularly with respect to coal production. The development of additional cost effective technology options will help to mitigate these emissions.

This program provides support for research organisations to undertake development, prototype verification and validation, and demonstration level projects.

The objectives of the program are to support universities, publicly funded research organisations and non-profit research organisations to:

• accelerate the development of methane abatement technologies, reduce costs and accelerate deployment of abatement technologies   
• reduce Australia’s methane emissions consistent with the Australian Government’s emissions reduction and net zero targets
• complement the Safeguard Mechanism reforms and support the Government’s ambitions under the Global Methane Pledge.