Mallee Biomass ready for biofuel boom
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“We also will be able to extend these outcomes to other sites.” The bigger picture To be sustainable, mallee-based processing industries need confidence that feedstock will be sustainably produced well into the future. As with all crop production, key factors affecting potential productivity are; water, nutrients and crop physiology. “As mallee managers, we have the ability to influence each and every one of these factors,” Dr Mendham said. “While only in the start-up phase, the project will develop our knowledge, understanding and tools to underpin sustained productivity of mallees.” Acknowledgements: The Australian Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism’s Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program is a key project supporter. More information Dr Daniel Mendham, CSIRO T: (08) 9333 6663 E: [email protected] focus ON PERENNIALS 3 R esearchers at Curtin University’s Centre for Advanced Energy Science and Engineering’s are turning up the heat on investigations into the utilisation of mallee biomass in Western Australia. Their efforts are currently focussed on the following mallee utilisation technologies: • Production of liquid fuels and chemicals by pyrolysis and biorefinery. The Centre leads a large collaborative project involving some key WA mallee researchers, funded by the Australian Federal Government as a part of its Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Grant Program along with State Government and participating organisations. The Centre also collaborates with its United States partner at the Washington State University, which is funded under the Australian Government’s International Science Linkage program • Bio-char. As an essential part of the above project researchers also are investigating the production and use of bio-char as a soil conditioner and for carbon sequestration, including life cycle analysis. This is in close collaboration with the researchers in the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), CSIRO, the Future Farm Industries CRC and Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport • Novel mallee gasification technology. Following intensive fundamental research on the gasification behaviour of mallee biomass, researchers have built a laboratory-scale pilot plant to demonstrate the key features of their innovative technology. If successful, the technology can be used to generate electricity for use by regional and rural WA with locally-grown mallee. It is predicted the technology could meet the energy demand of the booming regional economy. This project is funded by the Australian Government as a part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in collaboration with researchers in China, Korea and Japan • Hydrolysis of mallee biomass. Researchers aim to hydrolyse mallee biomass to produce sugars that may be further utilised, such as through fermentation to produce bio-ethanol • Other technologies. Centre researchers are investigating other possible ways to use the mallee biomass, such as co-firing mallee (or mallee-derived fuels) in the existing coal-fired power plants or fuel cell technologies. Co-firing mallee in existing power plants may encourage uptake of mallee biomass as a renewable energy source. On the other hand, fuel cell technologies will give high efficiency for mallee utilisation. More information Professor Chun-Zhu Li, Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Science and Engineering T: (08) 9266 1131 E: [email protected] Mallee biomass ready for biofuel boom RIGHT: Dry dam belts are developing under belts of mallees (TOP RIGHT) and researchers are hoping to trap rainfall run-off using engineered contour banks (BOTTOM RIGHT) to water the trees. (Photos: Richard Bennett, CSIRO)
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Production of liquid fuels via mallee biomass pyrolysis
Transcript of Mallee Biomass ready for biofuel boom
“We also will be able to extend these outcomes to other sites.”
The bigger pictureto be sustainable, mallee-based processing industries need confidence that feedstock will be sustainably produced well into the future.
as with all crop production, key factors affecting potential productivity are; water, nutrients and crop physiology.
“as mallee managers, we have the ability to influence each and every one of these factors,” Dr mendham said.
“While only in the start-up phase, the project will develop our knowledge, understanding and tools to underpin sustained productivity of mallees.”
acknowledgements: the australian Department of resources, energy and tourism’s second generation biofuels research and Development program is a key project supporter.
More informationDr Daniel mendham, Csiro T: (08) 9333 6663 E: [email protected]
focus O N P E R E N N I A L S3
researchers at Curtin university’s Centre for advanced energy
science and engineering’s are turning up the heat on investigations into the utilisation of mallee biomass in Western australia.
their efforts are currently focussed on the following mallee utilisation technologies:
• Production of liquid fuels and chemicals by pyrolysis and biorefinery. the Centre leads a large collaborative project involving some key Wa mallee researchers, funded by the australian federal government as a part of its second generation biofuels research and Development grant program along with state government and participating organisations. the Centre also collaborates with its united states partner at the Washington state university, which is funded under the australian government’s international science linkage program
• Bio-char. as an essential part of the above project researchers also are investigating the production and use of bio-char as a soil
conditioner and for carbon sequestration, including life cycle analysis. this is in close collaboration with the researchers in the Wa Department of environment and Conservation (DeC), Csiro, the future farm industries CrC and Centre for research into energy for sustainable transport
• Novel mallee gasification technology. following intensive fundamental research on the gasification behaviour of mallee biomass, researchers have built a laboratory-scale pilot plant to demonstrate the key features of their innovative technology. if successful, the technology can be used to generate electricity for use by regional and rural Wa with locally-grown mallee. it is predicted the technology could meet the energy demand of the booming regional economy. this project is funded by the australian government as a part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in collaboration with researchers in China, Korea and Japan
• Hydrolysis of mallee biomass. researchers aim to hydrolyse mallee biomass to produce sugars that may be further utilised, such as through fermentation to produce bio-ethanol
• Other technologies. Centre researchers are investigating other possible ways to use the mallee biomass, such as co-firing mallee (or mallee-derived fuels) in the existing coal-fired power plants or fuel cell technologies. Co-firing mallee in existing power plants may encourage uptake of mallee biomass as a renewable energy source. on the other hand, fuel cell technologies will give high efficiency for mallee utilisation.
More informationprofessor Chun-Zhu li, Curtin Centre for advanced energy science and engineering T: (08) 9266 1131 E: [email protected]
Mallee biomass ready for biofuel boom
RIGHT: Dry dam belts are developing under belts of mallees (TOP RIGHT) and researchers are hoping to trap rainfall run-off using engineered contour banks (BOTTOM RIGHT) to water the trees. (Photos: Richard Bennett, CSIRO)
