While enthusiasts have been promoting their benefits for decades, the Australian government is only now considering sustainable biofuels for the transportation industry. The Australian Government is looking at alternative biofuels as a way to cut emissions from the transportation industry. This week, the government said that it was looking into ways to enhance the production and use of biofuels, also known as low carbon liquid fuels (LCLF), in heavy vehicle fleets, aviation, rail, and maritime sectors.
While LCLFs can be made from solid municipal trash and agricultural products, enthusiasts have been producing biodiesel at home for decades by utilizing leftover vegetable oil to power older diesel vehicles. According to the government, advanced biofuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, are compatible with existing fuel infrastructure and can reduce engine carbon output while also reducing the nation’s reliance on refined fuel derived from crude oil, much of which is imported, thereby increasing Australia’s fuel security.
“Our country currently exports a significant amount of canola and tallow each year, which is used to produce biofuels in Europe,” said Catherine King, Minister of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Local Government, in a statement.
“As part of our Government’s commitment to a Future Made in Australia, we should be producing it right here on our shores,” she said. “An Australian low-carbon liquid fuel industry will make great use of existing resources, create new jobs in our regions, and provide the drop in fuel solutions our transport sector needs to assist them on their decarbonization journey.” In the most recent budget, the Australian government pledged $18.5 million over four years to build a certification mechanism for LCLFs, in an effort to assure the quality and consistency of these biofuels, as well as their reliability in all engines.
“Liquid fuels account for roughly half of our total national energy consumption, and they are especially important in our difficult-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, shipping, and construction machinery,” said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen at the announcement.
“The purpose of making low-carbon liquid fuels from the Australian livestock and renewables, we can develop our future fuel resource very secure, stronger and cleaner.”
The government has also committed an additional $1.5 million over two years to research the impact, costs, and benefits of establishing an LCLF industry in Australia.
The government is contemplating reforms to the taxation of biofuels, as well as grants, incentives, and whether heavy-polluting businesses should be subject to requirements.
While Australian airlines have begun to utilize sustainable aviation fuel, the European Union has mandated that airports use a blend of 2% biofuel by 2025, eventually growing to 20% by 2035.
