Queensland – the bio hub of Asia

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies Tim Mulherin said Queensland’s status as an emerging bio hub will be on display today at the national Bioenergy Australia conference on the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Mulherin said Queensland was the ideal host for the forum, given the government’s continuing commitment to developing biotechnology industries and ensuring the state’s clean energy future.

“By 2020, Queensland aims to be recognised as a leader in the production of bio-based industrial products and technologies in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Mulherin said.

“We also anticipate the sector will contribute up to $1 billion to our clean and sustainable economy.

“Bio-based products are playing a pivotal role in transitioning a global fossil fuel dependent economy to cleaner, greener alternatives,” he said.

Bioenergy Australia’s 2011 conference ‘Towards 2020: Growing our sustainable future’ opens today on the Sunshine Coast aimed at g alvanising the bioenergy community to work together and support the development of low carbon solutions.

Stephen Schuck, Manager of Bioenergy Australia said, “The technology which supports the production of bioenergy is proven and capable of producing energy now, with greater advancements under development.”

“Greater understanding and investment into bioenergy is vital in ensuring Australia’s low carbon future.”

Mr Mulherin said Queensland is well placed to capitalise on this worldwide trend and the Bligh Government has already invested in a number of bioenergy projects.

“We have bioenergy plants generating electricity from wood waste, sugar cane waste and even macadamia nut shells,” he said.

“We are also investing $9 million to support Mackay Sugar in increasing their electricity generation from sugar cane waste, which will help supply 30 per cent of the Mackay district’s electricity.

“We’ve provided $3.1 million to establish the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant, which I opened with the Premier last year.

“$1 million has been allocated to James Cook University and MBD Energy for a groundbreaking trial that uses algae to soak up carbon emissions from the Tarong Power Station, which also produces a range of valuable co-products such as biodiesel, animal stockfeeds and bio-plastics.

“$2 million has also been provided in innovation funding to the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) to research the production of aviation biofuels from a variety of feedstocks, including sugarcane juice and bagasse, oilseed trees such as Pongamia, and algae.

“Like the Bioenergy Australia 2011 conference, Queensland is ready for business in the bio-based sector.

“The industry is working to make the most of Queensland’s abundant renewable energy resources – including solar, geothermal, biomass, wind and hydroelectricity.

“These resources will play a key role in meeting the energy demands of Queensland’s growing population, creating a new green jobs-based industry, and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Mr Mulherin said an important achievement is that Queensland’s renewable energy capacity had jumped 54 per cent since 2008, from 745 megawatts to 1,147 megawatts.

“That equates to almost eight percent of Queensland’s total generation capacity and almost 10 per cent of Australia’s total renewable energy capacity,” Mr Mulherin added.

“That means we are on track to achieve our own target of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020.”