Advancing Australia’s Bioenergy Sector

In November, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) released Australia’s Bioenergy Roadmap.

Focussed on the near-term opportunities for the Australian bioenergy sector, the report estimates that within the next 20 years bioenergy has the potential to contribute AU$10 billion to Australia’s annual GDP, create tens of thousands of jobs, and reduce emissions by 9% — all, of course, while diverting waste from landfill and enhancing domestic fuel security.

The roadmap focuses on four areas in particular: use of bioenergy in hard to abate sectors, such as aviation and renewable industrial heat; as a complementary fuel for transportation; the need for R&D to support more widespread bioenergy resource utilisation; and enhanced collaboration between industry, government, and research organisations. Importantly, the roadmap is accompanied by an additional AU$33M for implementation, which is a critical aspect of the recent announcement which hopes to lift Australia’s bioenergy performance from the bottom quartile of OECD nations.

Read more: Australia’s Bioenergy Roadmap.