Here are the main technologies currently used in Australia to convert waste or biomass residues into fuel, heat or power. Click (i) to see the technology scheme and a case study.
Renewable Developments Australia (RDA) is developing a fully integrated biofuel facility near the township of Charters Towers in North Queensland, Australia. The Project involves the development of a fully integrated sugarcane farming, processing and ethanol distillation facility. The Pentland Bioenergy Project is fully integrated with feedstock grown on-site and controlled within the project. Investors will have full control and visibility over the cost and quality of feedstock, materially improving investment performance and economics when compared to traditional operations. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) have provided a $3 million grant to RDA to support progression of the project to Financial Close. 28,500 hectares of high yield agricultural land approximately 50 km south-west of Charters Towers has been secured via a long-term lease for Stage 1 development. Further expansion is possible post Stage 1 with the option for second generation ethanol production and additional contiguous land secured for future stages of development. The Project intends to Extract the full value of the sugarcane’s potential, with annual production estimated to include:- Approximately 190 million litres of high grade bioethanol from first generation processing. – Approximately 700 kilo tonnes of bagasse, a by-product of the diffusion and Extraction process, used to power a 16 megawatt cogeneration plant located on site, generating valuable Large-scale Generation Certificates for sale.
http://rdaust.com/pentland-bioenergy-project.html
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The Ecotech Biodiesel production plant is located 35 kilometres north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. The facility can produce up to 30 million litres with room for a second facility to increase production to 75 million litres. The facility has been in operation since May 2006.
https://www.ecotechbiodiesel.com/biodiesel
Check the Biomass Producer Website for more Bioenergy case studies.
PLEASE NOTE: There is currently no example in Australia for the technology Thermochemical Conversion using a large amount of waste. The Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant is an example of Thermochemical Conversion technology suitable for an extra large amount of waste and the best alternative case study example.
The Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant is an $18 million green fuel game changer being developed by Southern Oil Refining at its Northern Oil Refinery at Yarwun, near Gladstone, Queensland. The pilot plant, opened in June 2017, is using biomass material such as sugarcane bagasse and prickly acacia as feedstock for the production of bio crude oil, which will be refined into saleable kerosene and diesel products. Within three years of opening, the pilot plant aims to have produced one million litres of fuel for use in field trials by the US navy as part of its Great Green Fleet initiative, by the Australian Defence Force, by Australian heavy road transport operators and possibly for the aviation sector.
Licella’s proprietary ‘catalytic hydrothermal’ technology uses water, pressure and heat to convert biomass to bio-crude oil. The biomass is made into slurry, continuously pressurised, heated, reacted and then cooled to create the bio-crude oil. The process can convert a range of feedstocks. Licella has tested wood products (eucalypt, Pinus radiata), agricultural residue (bagasse, wheat straw), grasses and algae. Unlike techniques such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal upgrading with Licella’s Cat-HTR™ platform produces a stable biocrude which can be easily shipped, is not acidic and is miscible (blendable) with conventional oil. The pilot plant, located at Somersby, north of Sydney, demonstrates the continuous-flow process from slurry preparation, pressurisation, heating and reacting through to cooling and final separation of the bio-crude oil. Heavily automated, partly for safety reasons, the pilot plant has the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of slurried biomass per year. Supported by government funding of $5.4 million from ARENA, Licella is developing a de-risked feasibility study for a commercial plant that can handle 400,000 green tonnes of wood. The study includes selecting the plant location and the type of biomass, and signing up agreements with biomass suppliers and bio-crude buyers, essentially de-risking the business case for potential investors.
Northern oil advanced biofuels pilot plant
Licella – A bridge to a lower carbon future
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When the pyrethrum plant is processed for its natural insecticide (the chemical pyrethrin), the leftover parts of the plant are turned into briquettes, able to be burned as a biofuel. Meat processor Greenham Tasmania is burning pyrethrum briquettes to power the main steam boiler at its Smithton export abattoir, accounting for up to 30 per cent of its energy demands. The transition involved a $1.3m investment and several years of refinement.
https://www.botanicalresources.com/our-pyrethrins/sustainability
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Cape Byron Power, operated by Cape Byron Management, consists of two 30 MW biomass fired power stations, on the NSW north coast. Together, these form one of the largest renewable base load generators in Australia. The electricity is predominantly produced from sugar cane milling waste, along with certain types of wood residues and energy crops, commonly referred to as ‘biomass’ fuel. Cape Byron Management, led by a highly experienced board of directors and management team, is at the forefront of sustainable biomass practices and has a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation; driving fuel procurement according to defined principles of best practice benchmarks. Cape Byron Management Team are leaders in responsible and sustainable biomass power generation providing carbon neutral, cost effective and reliable renewable power now, and into the future. Cape Byron Management uses sustainably sourced biomass fuels which are low carbon, cost effective and renewable.
https://www.capebyronpower.com/
Check the Biomass Producer Website for more Bioenergy case studies.
Cape Byron Power, operated by Cape Byron Management, consists of two 30 MW biomass fired power stations, on the NSW north coast. Together, these form one of the largest renewable base load generators in Australia. The electricity is predominantly produced from sugar cane milling waste, along with certain types of wood residues and energy crops, commonly referred to as ‘biomass’ fuel. Cape Byron Management, led by a highly experienced board of directors and management team, is at the forefront of sustainable biomass practices and has a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation; driving fuel procurement according to defined principles of best practice benchmarks. Cape Byron Management Team are leaders in responsible and sustainable biomass power generation providing carbon neutral, cost effective and reliable renewable power now, and into the future. Cape Byron Management uses sustainably sourced biomass fuels which are low carbon, cost effective and renewable.
https://www.capebyronpower.com/
Check the Biomass Producer Website for more Bioenergy case studies.
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