BIOENERGY AUSTRALIA WEBINAR SERIES
 
Accelerating the role of bioenergy in Australia’s Circular Economy 

Australia’s first Bioenergy Roadmap (the Roadmap) has identified that a key benefit of Australia’s growing bioenergy sector is that bioenergy helps drive more effective waste management, enabling valuable energy recovery from more waste that cannot be recycled. 

By shifting from a linear waste management model to a circular economy, Australia can move from being one of the highest per capita waste generators in the world to a recycling and remanufacturing powerhouse.

A key technology in accelerating Australia’s circular economy is anaerobic digestion. The controlled decomposition of biodegradable organic waste can be used to produce biogas, a methane rich fuel, heat and digestate, a byproduct that can be used as a soil conditioner or fertiliser.

But how do we accelerate these identified key benefits that bioenergy can play? How can Australia accelerate a circular economy that can help the nation meet its 2030 targets of lower carbon emissions?

Bioenergy Australia has commissioned multiple reports to address these questions. Join us as we launch the reports and explore the findings, including the opportunities to accelerate and the challenges of growing Australia’s Circular Economy.
 

 

Turning Circle: How bioenergy can supercharge Australia’s circular economy 
Prepared by GHD

Fertile Ground: The role of digestate in Australia’s circular economy 
Prepared by GHD

Biomethane Gas Injection Report 
Prepared by Helmont Energy

 

This webinar is supported by the Circular Economy Network (CEN) and the Renewable Gas Alliance (RGA).

        
 

Agenda

12.30pm Welcome & Introduction 
Shahana McKenzie, CEO, Bioenergy Australia
Tiana Nairn, Group Manager - Policy, LMS Energy & Chair Renewable Gas Alliance 

12.40pm Reports
Turning Circle: How bioenergy can supercharge Australia’s circular economy 
Martin Gravett, Technical Director – Resource Recovery and Waste Management
 
Fertile Ground: The role of digestate in Australia’s circular economy 
Alister Green, Senior Process Engineer - Wastewater & Organic Waste to Energy
 
Biomethane Gas Injection Report 
Mark Jonker, Founding Director, Helmont Energy

1.30pm Panel Discussion
Moderated by Tiana Nairn

2.00pm Close

Cost
Bioenergy Australia Members: FREE
Non-Members: FREE

Speaker Bio

Tiana Nairn, Group Manager - Policy, LMS Energy & Chair Renewable Gas Alliance 

Tiana Nairn is the Group Manager - Policy at LMS Energy and is the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association’s SA Branch Vice President. She also lectures at the University of South Australia on Environmental Policy and Regulations. Prior to joining LMS Energy in late 2020, Tiana led a suite of legislative and policy reforms for improved waste management and resource recovery as the Waste Reform Policy Program Manager at the South Australian EPA. She has extensive regulatory reform experience, including overseeing the successful passage of laws to improve regulation of the waste sector, support resource recovery, improve reporting and tackle illegal dumping. She has also worked on inter-jurisdictional policy projects, broader environmental reforms, environmental assessment coordination and as an Associate at a specialist planning and environmental law firm. Tiana is committed to increased wellbeing and prosperity through sound environmental policy.

Martin Gravett, Technical Director – Resource Recovery and Waste Management, GHD

Martin has 30 years’ experience in resource recovery and waste management, mainly in project development and delivery, as well as technology development and process optimisation. He has led future-focused initiatives around waste and organics recycling infrastructure, market opportunity assessment, bioenergy, and bulk waste handling logistics.

Alister Green, Senior Process Engineer - Wastewater & Organic Waste to Energy, GHD

Alister has 15 years’ experience in the water industry working primarily on domestic and industrial wastewater treatment. More recently, Alister has focused on organic waste to energy projects, from feasibility/concept development to detailed design, construction, and commissioning. This has included working in Germany with technology partners to develop detailed designs for implementation in Australia. Alister is passionate about the potential of anaerobic digestion and biogas to contribute to decarbonisation and Australia’s circular economy.

Mark Jonker, Founding Director, Helmont Energy

Mark has over 20 years of experience developing bioenergy and power projects. Mark has held numerous executive positions across the energy market, including being responsible for global growth and the commercialisation of new renewable energy technologies for EDL. Mark has extensive experience as a business and project developer and has also project managed renewable and remote power projects in Australia, North America, the UK and Europe. After becoming familiar with international bioenergy markets and technologies, Mark identified an untapped bioenergy resource in Australia. Mark’s vision is to unlock this resource so that it can fulfil its important role in helping Australia move toward clean energy and a circular economy. In 2020, Helmont Energy was founded on this vision and Mark continues to lead the company today. The company is actively developing bioenergy projects which support the Australian agricultural industry and remote and regional communities.