Extract from ABC News
Forestry products could one day be shipped out of the Port of Portland using fuel made from the industry's own waste. (Supplied: SA Timber Processors Association)
In short:
The Australian government has announced a $1.1 billion program to promote biofuel manufacturing and development.
Forestry company OneFortyOne has announced a deal with biofuel developer HAMR to supply waste to be converted into bio-methanol.
What's next?
The Australian government is aiming to cut emissions by 62-70 per cent by 2035.
South Australia's forestry industry says it can turn its timber waste into aviation and shipping fuel as part of the country's move away from diesel fuels.
The federal government has placed the development and implementation of biofuels as a key pillar of its 2035 climate targets.
It also announced the $1.1 billion Cleaner Fuels Program to support the development and manufacturing of low carbon liquid fuels.
South Australian Forest Products Association chief executive Nathan Paine said partnering with biofuel manufactures allowed the sector to reduce waste.
Nathan Paine says the sector has been looking for the best way to manage "residue". (ABC South East SA: Sam Bradbrook)
He said forestry residue, created after timber logs were manufactured, was often heaped together and burned.
"The ambition is to utilise every stick of fibre domestically,"Mr Paine said.
"We're very optimistic agreements … will go a very long way to using the leftover residue that industry can utilise."
Forestry deal reached
OneFortyOne owns 80,000 hectares of pine plantations in the Green Triangle region, between south-east SA and south-west Victoria, and operates a sawmill in Mount Gambier.
This week it reached an agreement with biofuel developer HAMR energy to supply forestry waste to be converted into low-carbon methanol at its future site in Portland, Victoria.
OneFortyOne's timber mill in Mount Gambier manufactures construction timber for housing construction. (ABC News: Bec Whetham)
The agreement will see OneFortyOne supply timber waste for research and development for the first two years.
"You grow these trees for 30 years or longer and you want to make sure that you get the most out of it over that entire time period," said the director of strategy and corporate development Nick Chan.
"Every thing you can do to ensure you minimise the waste is only going to add to the value of those trees."
South Australia's south-east is the home of the state's forestry industry. (ABC News: Bec Whetham)
HAMR's proposed Portland site is expected to be completed in about two years, once the initial research phase with OneFortyOne is complete.
Co-founder David Stribley said the company expected to be manufacturing biofuels by 2030.
"Getting this agreement in place is an important milestone in the development phase in the project, helping attract potential customers and investors who will be key to bringing the facility online," he said.
Federal government makes major investment in cleaner fuels (AM)
Mr Stribley said the Cleaner Fuels Program had given the burgeoning biofuels sector confidence.
"Transitioning society's use of fossil liquid fuels, along with bringing fuel production back onshore in Australia, is a huge undertaking,"he said.
Biofuels, electrification, to drive transport
University of the Sunshine Coast Forestry Research Institute director Mark Brown has been working with forestry industries around the world to work with biofuel programs.
He said while last week's announcement pushed biofuels into the spotlight, forestry had been investigating the area for decades.
"[It's] the ability to produce a fuel that's effectively the same as the fossil-based fuels used today and drop that into existing technology," Professor Brown said.
Professor Mark Brown says Australia is behind other countries when it comes to biofuel implementation. (Supplied: Forestry Australia)
"[It] represents a huge opportunity to accelerate that transition to renewables and tackle that climate change challenge more acutely."
Australia's climate projections call for electric-powered cars, trains and trams to help reduce emissions.
But where electrification is impossible, like in aviation, shipping and long-distance freight, biofuels are expected to replace traditional diesel.
"In the early days of renewables there was a lot of each renewable seeking to be the solution," Professor Brown said.
"We've moved away from a solution to a suite of solutions — wind, solar, hydro, biofuels and bio-energies."
No comments:
Post a Comment