Australia eyes expanded bioenergy sector

Bioenergy could account for around a third of Australia's industrial heat market, provide more than a fifth of the feedstock in its gas pipeline network and create a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market, according to a report commissioned by an Australian government agency.

Bioenergy has the potential to provide up to 20pc of Australia's total energy consumption by the 2050s, said a report written by consultancy Deloitte on behalf of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena), which is a financier of renewable energy funded by the Australian government. Arena committed funding of A$131mn ($95mn) during 2012-20, covering 38 bioenergy related projects with a total project value of A$1.4bn.

Bioenergy could provide up to 244PJ/yr (6.52bn m³/yr) of renewable industrial heat, which represents about 33pc of the total industrial heat market, Australia's bioenergy roadmap report said.

It could also provide up to 105 PJ/yr of renewable gas, utilised within Australia's existing gas pipeline network and compatible with low-emissions hydrogen, which together account for 23pc of the total pipeline gas market.

The report suggested that the early deployment of pre-commercial SAF production plants could be created to produce up to 33,000 b/d of SAF representing approximately 18pc of the Australian aviation fuel market.

To achieve this aspirations there will need to be a dramatic change to Australia's bioenergy sector, which also includes waste-to-energy, as it has a relatively small share of the road transport fuels and power generation markets. There is no SAF market in Australia, although Australia's national airline Qantas Airways operated the first commercial biofuel-powered flight between the US and Australia in January 2018.

By Kevin Morrison