MEDIA RELEASE: BIOENERGY SECTOR SET TO BOOM WITH RELEASE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BIOENERGY ROADMAP

MEDIA RELEASE: BIOENERGY AUSTRALIA
18 November 2021

Bioeconomy to add $10 Billion to Australia’s GDP and 26,000 new jobs 
 
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor has today unveiled Australia’s Bioenergy Roadmap (the Roadmap), the first of its kind in Australia and a record commitment from the Australian Government to bioenergy.

Leading industry association Bioenergy Australia CEO Shahana McKenzie said, “This Roadmap defines a clear decade of bioenergy action for Australia and acknowledges the urgency for the bioenergy sector to play a bigger part in the nation's energy market.”

The Roadmap includes new analysis which confirms the adoption of key technologies which would see $10 billion added to Australia’s GDP by 2030 and 26,200 full-time jobs created, mostly in regional areas, as well as confirming that bioenergy has the potential to provide up to 40 per cent of Australia’s total energy consumption by the 2050s. 

Significant emissions reductions, fuel security and waste reduction are identified as key outcomes from the Roadmap that will create a better future for Australia.

To support the implementation of Roadmap, the Government has committed $33.5 million to ARENA
to further support Australia’s bioenergy sector through co-funding additional research, development
and deployment of advanced sustainable aviation and marine biofuels.

“We are confident the bioenergy sector is ready to take on this decade of acceleration. And of particular excitement is the funding mechanisms which will enable this plan and particularly the amount of action that will be realised in the next three very important years.” said McKenzie 

Bioenergy Australia has played a key role in the development of this new Roadmap and has united over 60 organisations spanning energy, aviation, heavy transport, investment and banking, construction, waste, agriculture, and research to commend the Australian Government on the landmark moment for bioenergy in Australia. 

McKenzie continued, “We are fully aligned with the government’s commitment to a sustainable bioenergy industry that delivers lower emissions, regional growth, energy resilience and waste management benefits for Australia.” 

“In particular, regional Australia has long been seeking out pathways as to how they are going to participate in lowering emissions. This Roadmap answers these questions and gives them an opportunity to play a significant role in the future of low emissions energy and fuel markets.” 

McKenzie commended the Roadmap’s elevation of the highest ranked market opportunities and for highlighting that the industry and government’s focus must be on expanding bioenergy’s market share in hard-to-abate sectors such as renewable industrial heat generation, sustainable aviation fuels and biomethane grid injections. 

“We have a number of live industrial renewable heat projects that show bioenergy is a viable and economically beneficial way forward in this space.” 
 
“This plan also outlines important developments for the waste and residue resources in Australia. Making the most of organic waste is a huge bioenergy opportunity for Australia particularly as well for the development of regional projects within the agricultural sector.”
 
“We’ve seen in recent years how large disruptions can impact critical systems, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic, and increasing fuel consumption cover is of critical importance for Australia's economy and livelihoods. We are excited at the role bioenergy will play in ensuring Australia's fuel security into the future.”
 
“This is a landmark moment for Australia’s clean energy transition. For significant and sustained job creation, economic stimulus, plus boosting our self-sufficiency in fuel, gas, and energy – all key concerns for the nation. There’s further opportunities in the creation of high-value bio-based products and bio-based chemicals.
 
“The two years has shown Australians want new industries, they want increased domestic manufacturing and job security, to reduce reliance on imports and to enhance our self-sufficiency. This Roadmap can deliver these market opportunities, along with immediate solutions for emissions reductions from hard-to-abate sectors – vital to meeting Australia’s Paris Agreement commitment.”
 
McKenzie concluded, “This is a seminal moment for our country and the future of clean energy. To realise the potential, we must prioritise these key technologies and make this solid investment to deliver a world-leading bioeconomy for Australia.”