[Peakoil-announce] Aust Academy of Tech Sciences and Engineering calls for a Biofuels Institute

[Ben Davies]

Hi all,

Just noted this press release in a small article in the CT today.
http://www.atse.org.au/index.php?sectionid=1243   (text below)

The PDF document of the report is available at:
http://www.atse.org.au/index.php?sectionid=128
(among other PDFs of interest to ACT-PO)

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ATSE calls for a Biofuels Institute

In a major report on Biofuels, released in Melbourne today, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) recommends that a national Biofuels Institute be established.

ATSE says that with strong governance, guaranteed funding and appropriately focused international linkages, the “impressive cadre” of Australian researchers in the bio-industries could come together far more effectively than through the fragmenting, competitive, grant-driven, step-by-step processes that characterise much of Australia’s RD&D.

It calls for the Biofuels Institute to be established along the innovative lines of the recently announced Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, the National Low Emissions Coal Initiative and the soon-to-be-created Australian Solar Institute.

These models, building on the clustering and industry-creating experiences of a number of Cooperative Research Centres, are expected to be able to go further than CRCs realistically can, ATSE says.

The report notes that recent world events have brought the issue of fuel supply into extremely sharp focus. Australia has limited transport fuels alternatives, but can advance strongly in Generation 2 biofuels.

Australia has modest prospects in the domain of Generation 1 biofuels – ethanol and biodiesel – where a fledgling industry is established, based mainly on food by-products, within an uncertain policy environment.

While there is some room for growth, competition for scarce resources – including water and agricultural land well-suited for food production – make it unlikely that a substantial Generation 1 industry could further develop in Australia without market- distorting mandates or subsidies, despite the compelling need for transport fuels security.

But in the Generation 2 biofuels domain, where non-food resources dominate, Australia may be well-situated to establish a thriving future industry, based on the prolific and lower-value resources which it has in abundance.

The significant potential for the economic conversion of lignocellulosics (woody plants) to ethanol and specialised algae strains to biodiesel warrant enhanced commitment to focused Australian RD&D in this sector – which should be aligned with the significantly greater RD&D efforts of other nations.

ATSE says that, despite its fragmented and underfunded competitive RD&D effort in the biofuels area, Australia has many worthwhile initiatives.

Bioenergy Australia, as the national industry body, provides an effective leadership role in drawing the industry domain together. The National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) Biofuels Project is a worthy program.

A Biofuels Institute could improve mutual cooperation between Australian researchers and to build and sustain collaborative international arrangements.

ATSE urges the continuation of Australia’s engagement in the International Energy Agency’s Bioenergy Task 39, Commercialising First and Second Generation Biofuels from Biomass, current until 2010, and commends our membership of the Global Bio-Energy Partnership (GBEP) to further enhance meaningful international engagement.

ATSE takes a strong view that the use of biofuels to enhance Australia’s liquid transport fuel security must not be at the expense of food production. It also emphasises that present Generation 2 biofuel technologies are not cost-competitive, that an expanded RD&D effort is required and that biofuels research is fragmented and poorly coordinated and needs to be better-funded.

It says Australia must enhance the knowledge base of its more promising biofuels resources and build on its significant existing strengths in biofuels research.

The report notes that Australia has limited biofuels production capacity which needs to be supported and that biofuels industry development must be directed not only to the production of economic transport biofuels but also to creation of profitable co-products.

Australia needs to develop clear-cut long term policies for biofuels, including an effective balance between ‘technology push’ and ‘market pull’, evaluation of biofuels production and distribution infrastructure and related logistics, a major injection of RD&D funding and better research clustering and cooperation.

A large-scale Australian biofuels industry will have to demonstrate robust credentials in greenhouse gas emissions, land and water impacts, financial viability and social acceptability, it adds.

The ATSE Report, Biofuels for Transport: a Roadmap for Development in Australia, will be launched today (November 17) at the Academy’s National Symposium in Melbourne titled ‘Alternative Transport Fuels for Australia’.
View it here

Issued by 	The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
197 Royal Parade
Parkville Victoria 3052
Contact 	Bill Mackey, Communications Director
(03) 9340 1206 or 0418 923 370
billm at atse.org.au