Liquid Fuels Scope 1 (Direct — fuel combustion)

Diesel Oil (Stationary Use)

Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026

Diesel used in generators and stationary plant emits 2.7097 kg CO₂-e per litre (NGA Factors 2025). Worked examples, calculator and NGER-ready guidance.

Emission Factor Value

2.7097 kg CO₂-e/litre

Try it with your own numbers

Diesel consumed (stationary use) Unit

Estimated emissions

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Diesel combusted in equipment you own or control is Scope 1. Calculated as litres × 2.7097 kg CO₂-e/L (NGA Factors 2025, Table 8). Add 0.6678 kg CO₂-e/L separately for upstream Scope 3.

Official Source & Citation

This emission factor is sourced from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 , Table 8 — Liquid fuels and certain petroleum-based products, published by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Citation: DCCEEW (2025). Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025. Commonwealth of Australia. Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-factors-2025

View official publication ↗

Notes

Derived from NGA Factors 2025 Table 8: energy content 38.6 GJ/kL × combined Scope 1 emission factor 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 2,709.72 kg CO₂-e/kL, i.e. 2.7097 kg CO₂-e per litre. The upstream (Scope 3) factor is 17.3 kg CO₂-e/GJ (0.6678 kg CO₂-e/litre), reported separately under Scope 3.

Calculation Example

If your backup generators consumed 3,000 litres of diesel during the year:

Working	Result
3,000 L × 2.7097 kg CO₂-e/L = 8,129.1 kg CO₂-e	8.13 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Backup generators, irrigation pumps, site compressors and construction plant all run on the same fuel, and it all lands in the same place on your emissions inventory: Scope 1. Diesel used in stationary equipment is one of the most common line items in Australian carbon accounts, and it is often the first fuel a business measures.

The numbers below come straight from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 and apply to the 2025–26 reporting year. You can apply them manually or let a Scope 1 and 2 calculator do the conversions for you.

Quick Verdict

Diesel combusted in stationary equipment in Australia emits 2.7097 kg CO₂-e per litre, reported under Scope 1. The factor is derived from diesel’s energy content of 38.6 GJ/kL and the combined emission factor of 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ published in Table 8 of the NGA Factors 2025. It applies to any organisation burning diesel in generators, pumps, boilers or fixed plant it owns or controls. A separate upstream factor of 17.3 kg CO₂-e/GJ (0.6678 kg CO₂-e/L) covers extraction, refining and fuel transport, and is reported under Scope 3. Note that diesel used in vehicles takes the slightly higher transport factor of 2.7178 kg CO₂-e/L.

How to Calculate Stationary Diesel Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Litres of diesel × 2.7097

Or in NGA energy terms: E (t CO₂-e) = kL × 38.6 GJ/kL × 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ ÷ 1,000.

Worked Example 1: Farm Irrigation Pump

A diesel irrigation pump consumes 850 litres over the season.

850 L × 2.7097 = 2,303.2 kg CO₂-e

2.30 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Backup Generators

A data facility’s backup generators are refuelled with 3,000 litres during the year.

3,000 L × 2.7097 = 8,129.1 kg CO₂-e

8.13 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Construction Site Plant

A builder’s excavators, compressors and site generators consume 20,000 litres of diesel on a project.

20,000 L × 2.7097 = 54,194 kg CO₂-e

54.19 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

How Stationary Diesel Compares to Other Liquid Fuels

Fuel	Scope 1 factor (kg CO₂-e/L)
Fuel oil	2.9314
Diesel (transport, cars & LCVs)	2.7178
Diesel (stationary)	2.7097
Heating oil	2.6009
Kerosene (non-aviation)	2.5916
LPG (stationary)	1.5574
Renewable diesel (transport)	0.0197

All values from NGA Factors 2025, Tables 8 and 9.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Stationary diesel combustion is Scope 1 energy use under the NGER scheme and must be reported to the Clean Energy Regulator if your organisation meets the thresholds. Under AASB S2, diesel combustion forms part of the mandatory Scope 1 disclosure in your climate statement — a NGER reporting tool can keep the fuel classifications and factors consistent across both.

Diesel (Transport)

2.7178 kg CO₂-e/litre

Fuel Oil

2.9314 kg CO₂-e/litre

Heating Oil

2.6009 kg CO₂-e/litre

LPG (Stationary)

1.5574 kg CO₂-e/litre

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the emission factor for stationary diesel use in Australia?

Stationary diesel emits 2.7097 kg CO₂-e per litre under the NGA Factors 2025. This is derived from diesel's energy content of 38.6 GJ/kL multiplied by the combined Scope 1 emission factor of 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ from Table 8.

Which scope does stationary diesel combustion fall under?

Diesel burned in generators, pumps, boilers or plant that your organisation owns or controls is Scope 1 (direct emissions). If a contractor owns and fuels the equipment, the combustion sits in their Scope 1 and typically your Scope 3.

How is stationary diesel different from transport diesel?

The fuel is the same, but the combined emission factor differs slightly because methane and nitrous oxide emissions vary by combustion technology. Stationary diesel is 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ (2.7097 kg/L) while transport diesel in cars and light commercial vehicles is 70.41 kg CO₂-e/GJ (2.7178 kg/L). NGER reporting requires you to classify the use correctly.

How do I measure my stationary diesel consumption?

Use fuel supplier invoices or bulk tank delivery records — litres purchased is the standard activity data. For shared tanks serving both vehicles and plant, split consumption using dispensing logs or equipment run-hours so stationary and transport use are reported against the correct factors.

Does the 2.7097 kg/L factor include upstream emissions?

No. It covers combustion only (Scope 1). The NGA Factors 2025 publish a separate upstream factor of 17.3 kg CO₂-e/GJ for diesel extraction, refining and transport, which works out to 0.6678 kg CO₂-e per litre and is reported under Scope 3.

How do I convert litres of diesel to gigajoules?

Diesel has an energy content of 38.6 GJ per kilolitre, so 1,000 litres equals 38.6 GJ. To convert, multiply kilolitres by 38.6. NGER reporting works in energy terms, so this conversion underpins the published per-GJ factors.

Do I report stationary diesel under NGER and AASB S2?

Yes. If your organisation meets NGER thresholds, stationary diesel combustion is reported as Scope 1 energy use to the Clean Energy Regulator. Under AASB S2, Scope 1 emissions including diesel combustion must be disclosed in your climate statement, using current NGA factors.

Where does the stationary diesel emission factor come from?

From the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025, published by DCCEEW. Table 8 lists diesel oil with an energy content of 38.6 GJ/kL and a combined Scope 1 factor of 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ, which converts to 2.7097 kg CO₂-e per litre.

Disclaimer

This page is provided for general information, not professional or compliance advice. The factor shown is reproduced from the official publication cited above, and while we work to keep it current, government factors change — the publication is always the authoritative source.

Before using this value in any formal reporting — including under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 — confirm it against the current official publication and the methods specified by the Clean Energy Regulator.
NetNada is independent of the Australian Government, DCCEEW, and the Clean Energy Regulator. Government data is Crown copyright, Commonwealth of Australia.

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