Biofuels for a cleaner future

Our cars, trucks and aeroplanes could soon run on fuel made from sugarcane waste thanks to the work of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) scientists at the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant.

QUT Professor James Dale said researchers at the plant had been focused on the most challenging stages in the process of converting sugarcane waste (or ‘biomass’) into ethanol. “We have developed and demonstrated the pretreatment process required to modify biomass so that it is more amenable to processing into fermentable sugars and other higher value biocommodities,” he said.

On Sunday, Senator Carr, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet and Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson outlined some of the opportunities a carbon price gives our researchers.

Under the new $200 million Clean Technology Innovation Program, facilities like this plant are set to benefit as more funding is made available to support private investment in renewable energy, low-emissions technology and energy-efficiency measures.

The new Australian Renewable Energy Agency will administer $3.2 billion in existing government grants for research and development into renewable energy technologies and initiatives to bring them to market. The agency will be part of the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolio.

For more information on the agency and the government's plan for a clean energy future, visit www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au. For more information about the National Collaborative research Infrastructure Strategy, the Super Science Initiative and the government’s support for science and research, visit www.innovation.gov.au.