Time to choose a better energy future

LPG: The easy, reliable energy solution for farms and businesses

As Australia’s largest LPG provider, ELGAS has a long history of serving the Australian agricultural community. And with more than 40 years of experience, it’s no wonder that ELGAS is poised to play a greater role in shaping agriculture into the future.

As a fuel offering reduced emissions and a high-energy content per unit volume, LPG is the ideal alternative to diesel for farmers.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) offers a crucial advantage in one of the most critical post-harvest operations – grain and cotton drying. LPG can produce high-grade heat in large volumes. Grain and cotton dryers powered by LPG can efficiently remove moisture from crops, preserving quality and preventing spoilage. This is vital for farmers in regions with unpredictable weather patterns, as it allows for rapid drying of the harvest.

LPG is also a versatile energy source for heating large spaces. Nurseries, greenhouses, and poultry sheds require consistent temperatures for optimal growth and production. LPG heating systems provide reliable and efficient warmth, creating ideal conditions for sensitive crops and livestock.

When LPG can reduce carbon dioxide by up to 45% compared to diesel and virtually eliminates particulates along with major air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, it seems a no-brainer that customers should make the switch. 

With the agricultural industry under increasing pressure to produce more with less, while minimising environmental impact, that’s where ELGAS steps in, delivering reliable energy solutions to the agricultural community and more broadly homes across regional and rural Australia and New Zealand.

“LPG has a higher energy content than diesel fuel, meaning farm businesses can achieve the same level of output with less fuel consumption,” explains ELGAS National Marketing Manager Ebony English. “And because LPG produces 45 per cent less carbon dioxide and 99 percent less nitrogen oxide pollutants than diesel, ELGAS has been able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more sustainable operation. Also, LPG produces significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and other harmful pollutants compared to diesel.”

With more than 400 depots, agents, and distributors around the country, ELGAS is committed to supporting the agricultural industry as it transitions towards a net zero economy.

“We understand the farmers responsibility to achieve carbon neutrality is now.”

To assist with this journey towards net zero, is the offer of Carbon Neutral plans to our customers via Climate Active, an Australian Government initiative. This offset is achieved by ELGAS purchasing carbon credits that are equal to the emissions produce.

To support the transition from diesel to LPG, ELGAS offers site assessments for LPG storage, technical advice on equipment conversions, installation assistance from its National Technical Team, and ongoing maintenance through its National Maintenance Team.

The energy solution for farms and businesses: a case study

Being able to swiftly switch to LPG gas literally meant the survival of a remote rural town.

“Ten weeks after ELGAS came on site, we had gas to our boilers,” sums up Steve Townsend, Plant Manager at Tongala Nutrition, of the LPG gas supplier’s critical role in getting the fledgling company up and running. 

In late 2023 Tongala Nutrition purchased a dormant former Nestle site at Tongala, a small rural town 225 kilometres north of Melbourne, with plans to reopen as a food and beverage manufacturer focussed on producing UHT milk for the domestic market, but with global export aspirations.

“Of all the services connected to the site, natural gas was the only one disconnected,” Steve says of when the start-up company took over the site.

Attempts to reconnect natural gas proved futile - both in cost and lost time.

“For the timeframe we needed to get gas running, it wasn’t going to work,” says Steve. “And it was going to be more expensive. So, we approached an ELGAS agent in Echuca and they jumped on board.”

ELGAS Sales, Technical and National Maintenance teams immediately worked with Tongala Nutrition and quickly executed the installation.

 "They managed to fit a system and get us running within weeks. It’s been working well ever since.”

With two large boilers on-site, LPG was the only cost-effective option for Tongala Nutrition.

“It’s the best bang for the buck for the energy we get,” says Steve. “We’re a start-up and ELGAS has given us such good support. In our first 12 months, we didn’t know what our volumes would be and how often we’d need gas. We only pay for what we use, which is a great part of it.”

ELGAS’s pricing and contract arrangements supported Tongala Nutritions success moving forward. Its telemetry system enables ELGAS to remotely monitor all LPG tanks at Tongala. This allows for improved service scheduling for timely refills, better understanding of gas usage patterns, and enhanced reliability of service with fewer disruptions. 

“We’ll be using about 100 tonnes of LPG per month,” says Steve, a Tongala local, adding that the town’s revival with Tongala Nutrition re-opening the site was hinged on ELGAS stepping in with a reliable, safe, and cost-efficient local energy supply. 

“We had supply contracts with major retailers,” Steve explains. “If ELGAS hadn’t supported us with this project, we wouldn’t have been able to meet those contracts. It was as critical as that.”

ELGAS and Energy Safe Victoria have supported Tongala Nutrition’s journey “all the way with regulations and procedures we must have on site. And ELGAS has provided safety training and documentation to support that”.

Steve expects Tongala Nutrition’s LPG requirements will grow. 

“The beauty about the ELGAS system is that we can grow by adding LPG tanks on site as we need. Easy.”