Carbon Neutral Fuels joins Bioenergy Australia to advance Queensland bioSAF

Membership and project start

Carbon Neutral Fuels has joined Bioenergy Australia and signed a memorandum of understanding with Energy Estate to explore a bioSAF (bio-based sustainable aviation fuel) project in Queensland powered by captured sugarcane waste.

Feedstock and regional potential

ARENA's 2018 Bioenergy Roadmap singled out sugarcane waste and livestock feedstocks as some of Australia's best regional bioenergy opportunities, with potential to create jobs and new revenue streams for farmers; the company notes the feedstock supports additional income streams for rural industry as well as national sustainability targets.

Sector context and knowledge gaps

CSIRO's 2023 SAF Roadmap projects Australian biomass could meet half the country's SAF needs by 2050, but Australia is still building towards scale and no large SAF facility has reached a final investment decision yet. Bioenergy Australia's National Feedstock Roundtable in Canberra in August found 62% of participants feel they don't know enough about feedstocks, a gap the company says its membership can help close.

International pipeline

Queensland activity sits alongside an international pipeline including Project Kestrel, a four-times scale-up of Project Starling being developed in Teesside, a Scottish marine facility, and early-stage work in the EU and Canada.