Qantas receives grant to help biofuels take off

At the recent departure of Qantas’s first flight powered using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and regular jet fuel, the federal government announced it will help fund a study into the sustainable production and commercialisation of aviation biofuels in Australia.

Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said that the $500,000 Emerging Renewables Program grant would see Qantas partner with Shell Australia to undertake a feasibility study into the long-term viability of biofuel feedstock and the production of low-carbon alternative aviation fuels in Australia.

“The study will also investigate the opportunity to use existing refining plant and fuel distribution infrastructure for aviation biofuel production,” Minister Ferguson said.

“As the government’s Advanced Biofuels Study indicated, the development of a biofuels industry in Australia will require significant commitment and investment from the private sector.

“The Qantas-Shell partnership is a great example of how industry-led collaboration, combined with government support, can drive the development of alternative transport fuels in Australia.”

Minister Ferguson went on to speak about the benefits of alternative fuels to the industry.

“The aviation industry is the most rapidly growing mode of transport in Australia, and the development of alternative fuels offers energy security and job opportunities, and supports efforts to lower Australia’s carbon emissions,” he said.

“This could be the beginning of Qantas becoming ‘Flying Bio-Roo’.”