Bioenergy Australia would like to congratulate the conference organisers, and keynote speaker Hon. Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction for highlighting the significant opportunities for Biofuels in Australia at today’s Liquid Fuel Security Conference.
Minister Taylor spoke to the significant opportunities for advanced biofuels across aviation, marine and heavy haulage and referred to the soon to be released Australian Bioenergy Roadmap to guide the direction we take. He spoke to the significant expertise and feedstocks available and the demand interest from industries such as aviation as key drivers.
Bioenergy Australia Chair, Dr John Hewson says “We congratulate the Minister for his support in developing the Bioenergy Roadmap and his supportive comments today. The renewable fuels industry is eagerly awaiting the release of the bioenergy roadmap and we look forward to working with the government in delivering Australia’s future bioeconomy. As a comparison, Australia is sitting around 15 years behind in developing our Bioeconomy and we are delighted that Minister Taylor has seen the potential and is investing in developing this new industry that will deliver thousands of new jobs at a crucial time.“
With the decline in domestic refining in Australia, and the closure of 3 refineries in the last decade Australia has been left with 4 refineries in operation and the majority of fuel being imported. Australia would be exposed to catastrophic challenges should there be disruptions to the main shipping line to Australia. This could occur for a range of reasons, including geopolitical issues in the region or a natural disaster. This is an issue of National security and it is welcoming to see the Minister referencing Biofuels as part of the Governments solution says John Hewson, Chair Bioenergy Australia.
As widely demonstrated by results achieved internationally, the development of a strong bioeconomy can provide skilled employment opportunities to regional areas and stimulate economic development. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) 2019 review shows global employment in the bioenergy sector has grown in the last few years, reaching 3.18 million jobs in 2018.
A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report “An Economic Impact Analysis of the US Bio-based Products Industry (2018)” analyses the economic impact of the biobased products industry on the US economy. Results show that an expanding bioeconomy leads to higher revenues, more jobs, innovative partnerships and key environmental benefits. The total contribution of the bio-based products industry to the US economy in 2016 was $459 billion, a 17% increase from 2014, and it was employing 4.65 million workers (direct and indirect), an increase of more than 10% from 2014.
According to the ARENA and CEFC report “Biofuels and Transport: An Australian opportunity”, global employment figures suggest an Australian biofuels production target of 20 gigalitres per year could provide long-term employment for up to 250,000 people, mostly in regional areas.
The production of Biofuels in Australia can help diversify the sources of transportation fuels and decrease Australia’s reliance on petroleum imports. A recent report from QUT showed that a simple e10 national mandate would represent an 18% decrease on imported fuels. Biofuels are created from waste organic matter and can be blended with petroleum, diesel and jet fuel with significant positive impacts on the environment, reduced health impacts through reducing air particulate matter, increased jobs through regional development and enhanced fuel security through reduced reliance on imported fuels. Technology developments are now allowing drop in 100% replaceable fuels to be created, from feed stocks such as municipal waste and sewerage waste to fuel.
Biofuels are not just relevant for land transport, Biojet is a significant area of growth globally and the increasing interest from Australian airlines was noted by the Minister today. Currently Australia imports ~90% of its commercial jet fuel and we hold approximately 20 days of fuel in store. With biojet able to be blended up to 50% Australia could be producing our own aviation fuel that would contribute significantly to regional jobs and investment.
Hewson said Australians are looking to the Commonwealth Government for solutions and leadership as we transition out of COVID 19 and embark on our road to recovery. “Australians are looking for new industries, increased domestic manufacturing, job security, reduced reliance on imports and enhanced self-sufficiency. Investing in developing Australia’s bioeconomy is a key solution and we welcome the Ministers supportive comments.
Bioenergy Australia is the industry association representing the Bioenergy sector and its members represent some of the country’s largest companies, as well as Government Departments, Industry groups and universities.
More information on ‘Biofuels to bioproducts: a growth industry for Australia’ can be found here at Bioenergy Australia’s website.
