Bagasse – a residue of the sugar cane milling process which can be used as a fuel.
Biogas – gaseous fuels, also known as biofuels and biomass gas, which are produced from the decomposition/fermentation of organic waste. Examples include landfill methane and digester gas.
Biomass – a solid renewable organic material that can be burnt as a fuel (e.g. bagasse, wood and wood waste). It can also be used to produce liquid or gas biofuels (e.g. biogas).
Black coal – a sedimentary organic rock consisting of anthracite, bituminous and sub-bituminous rank coals. Black coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to raise steam to generate electricity.
Brown coal – also known as lignite, is a low rank, brownish-black coal with a high moisture content of around 60%.
Brown coal briquettes – made from brown coal through a process of crushing, drying and the addition of a binding agent, to produce a compact, high-energy fuel that is easily transported. In Australia, it is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation.
Coal by-products – additional products derived during the operation of coke ovens and blast furnaces. Coal by-products include both liquids (tars and liquid hydrocarbon by-products, such as coal tars and tar oils) and gases (such as coke oven gas and blast furnace gas). It also includes blast furnace gas from iron and steel processing.
Coke – a material derived from heating coal in the absence of air. It is used mainly as a fuel and reducing agent in smelting iron ore and is derived from the destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulphur bituminous black coal. For the purpose of this survey, petroleum/refinery coke is included under ‘Refinery fuels’.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) – made by compressing purified natural gas to less than one percent of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is used mainly in transportation.
Cooling water – for the purposes of this survey, cooling water refers to single-use water used to regulate temperature by dissipating heat from processes and/or equipment.
Crude oil – a mixture of hydrocarbons, existing in the liquid state, both in natural underground reservoirs and at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities.
Desalination – a process where salt is removed from water with a high salt content (usually seawater but sometimes other brackish water) to make it suitable for use (usually for consumption, but sometimes for industrial purposes).
Diesel (including biodiesel blends) – fuel for diesel engines obtained from the distillation of petroleum. It includes both automotive diesel oil and industrial diesel fuel. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from vegetable oils or animal fats through the process of esterification. Biodiesel blended with conventional diesel, usually B5 or B20, is available at service stations across Australia.
Electricity – the flow of electrical power or charge. It is a secondary energy source, meaning it is derived from the conversion of primary sources of energy such as coal, natural gas and oil.
Electricity provider – a business or organisation that provides or distributes electricity. Electricity providers may be electricity retailers, utility companies, government bodies or any other third party that provides electricity to this business or organisation. Electricity providers may also generate electricity.
Feedstock – a raw material used in the processing or production of another product.
Fuel oil – the heavy distillates from oil refining, used as a fuel for burning in furnaces or boilers, ships and locomotives.
Fuel Tax Credits Scheme – this is an initiative that provides eligible businesses with a credit for the tax that is included in the cost of fuel purchased for their business.
Groundwater – water that collects beneath the substrate or soil surface (or below the ground's surface).
Inland surface water – water on the surface of the planet that is located inland, i.e. not the ocean or seawater. Inland surface water includes water flowing or held in streams, rivers, lakes and other wetlands in the landscape.
Kerosene for use in aircraft – kerosene is a combustible hydrocarbon of varying composition. Kerosene for use in aircraft includes aviation turbine fuel (AVTUR) and Jet A-1.
Kerosene for non-aircraft use – kerosene is a combustible hydrocarbon of varying composition. It has many non-aircraft uses, including use as a solvent, fuel for heating and lighting, and as a lubricant.
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – a combination of propane and butane, along with trace amounts of other compounds, recovered in either natural gas extraction or oil refining. The gases are transformed into a liquid to assist in transport.
Mine dewatering – the process used to remove excess run-off and groundwater seepage into mines.
National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS) – the scheme is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator (Commonwealth regulatory body), which is empowered under the NGER Act 2007 to collect aggregated annual energy consumption data from designated energy intensive businesses in Australia.
Natural gas – a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon gases. It is formed primarily of methane; however, its composition can vary widely and commonly includes ethane, propane, butane, and pentane. It includes liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal seam methane (CSM)
Petrol (including E10) – a petroleum product used in motor vehicles. It is also known as automotive gasoline. It includes:
- regular unleaded petrol – petrol that has zero lead content.
- premium unleaded – a high octane fuel which has an octane rating of RON 95 and 98 and is designed for high performance unleaded engines.
- ethanol blend – also known as E10 and is a blend of 10% ethanol fuel and 90% regular unleaded petrol.
Potable/mains/raw water – first use water purchased from water suppliers via mains supply or transported, carted, trucked in by other businesses or organisations. Includes potable, mains, and raw water but excludes recycled water.
Produced formation water – the naturally occurring water that exists within oil and gas reserves.
Recycled water – for the purposes of this survey, recycled water is water received from water suppliers only and does not include self-recycled water. This includes water that has been sourced by the water supplier from drainage, wastewater (including sewage) or stormwater that has been used again without first being discharged to the environment. It may have been treated to some extent. Recycled water is also known as re-use water or effluent re-use.
Refinery fuels – petroleum/refinery coke and fuel gas as combusted or consumed by refineries.
Seawater – water extracted from seas, oceans and estuaries and used for desalination and/or cooling.
Self-sourced water – water that is extracted by this business/organisation directly from inland surface water, groundwater, seawater or other water bodies. This also includes harvested rainfall into tanks. It may or may not be extracted as part of a water licence or agreement. Examples include rivers, dams, lakes, bore water, produced formation water, seawater and stormwater into tanks.
Sewage – human excreta or domestic waterborne waste, whether untreated or partially treated.
Stormwater – rainfall which is collected as run-off from urban surfaces.
Wastewater – any water that has been used once and cannot be used again without treatment (e.g. untreated effluent, sewage water and trade waste).
Wastewater services – the removal, treatment and disposal of wastewater that is discharged into a sewerage or stormwater drainage system.
Water supplier – a business or organisation that provides water through the piped mains system or other means of transport direct to site (e.g., trucks). This includes irrigation water, potable water, recycled water, raw water and/or bulk water supply service. Water suppliers may be government or private and often operate water storage, purification, and supply services. They may also provide sewerage or drainage services.
Wood and wood waste – it includes wood and wood waste used to produce energy, usually through burning.