Biodiesel production plans for Australia

Australia's diesel shortage can be solved by substituting and blending biodiesel, according to an Australian energy company.

Biodiesel is derived from plant oils and animal fats. Currently there is more than one billion litres of planned biodiesel production in Australia.

One company with plans to produce biodiesel in Australia is Axiom Energy. David Vinson, technical director of Axiom Energy told Waste Streams that the company's first project will be a biodiesel manufacturing facility at Toll GeelongPort in Melbourne. In conjunction with Toll and Terminals, Axiom expects that "in a years time, over 150 million litres of biodiesel will be manufactured at the site".

Australia currently uses about 12 billion litres and imports about four billion litres of fossil diesel a year. Predicted growth in commercial and passenger vehicles could see importation of up to six billion litres.

"An opportunity for the biodiesel industry in Australia is to substitute some of the imported fossil diesel," said Vinson. "Biodiesel can be blended in with diesel and in the blended state you will not have to provide any engine modifications.

"Biodiesel is one of the ways to provide the world with other sources of energy to keep things going," he said.

Production at the Toll GeelongPort is scheduled to commence by mid 2007 and there are plans for a similar facility at Port Botany for the near future.

Carmen Li, journalist
21/9/06