Australian Sugar Manufacturers (ASM) has put forward a roadmap for biofuels and bioenergy that will underpin regional job opportunities while reducing emissions.
Submitted to the Department of Agriculture, the Fisheries and Forestry’s National Bioenergy Feedstock Strategy outlines a clear vision for Australia’s sugar industry.
ASM chief executive officer Ash Salardini said that regional communities will notice the positive impacts as soon as the plan is introduced.
“Whether in Bundaberg, Tully, Mackay, or Ingham, sugar manufacturers are laying the groundwork to transform these communities into national hubs for biofuels and bioenergy,” he said.
“With the right support policy, this roadmap will deliver thousands of regional jobs, strengthen fuel security, and help Australia meet its climate targets.”
Based on the plan, the sugar industry can supply over 30 per cent of Australia’s domestic aviation fuel needs using sugar-derived biofuels. The roadmap will also provide affordable biogas to regional manufacturers and make steel production green by relacing coal use with biomass pellets made from bagasse and agricultural waste.
“Our industry can deliver both emissions reduction and regional jobs,” Salardini said.
“More than 20,000 regional jobs depend on the sugar industry’s diversification into biofuels and bioenergy. It is our pathway to long-term viability.”
The Federal Labor Government and Queensland LNP Government are supporting the plan, acknowledging the opportunities within the sugar industry.
Salardini said that urgent action is required, and the industry still needs more support.
“We need co-investment in costly feasibility assessments that will ensure we have a pipeline of shovel ready projects once a market for biofuels has been established,” he said.
“We require co-investment in developing the supply chains that will serve the biofuels industry. We also need an ambitious research and development agenda for advanced sugar manufacturing, so we can adopt the latest and greatest technologies to continue to benefit from the economic dividends that sugar provides.”