Ifunanya Okafor26 February 2025
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has allocated A$8 million ($5 million) to technology company Licella to conduct a feasibility study on developing a biorefinery in Queensland. The proposed facility will focus on converting sugarcane waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for Brisbane Airport. Licella plans to use its proprietary Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) technology to process sugar mill residues into renewable fuels. If successful, the biorefinery, located at the Isis Central Sugar Mill, could produce approximately 60 million liters of low-carbon liquid fuels per year, with around 40 million liters designated for SAF. As part of broader efforts to decarbonize Australia’s aviation sector, ARENA is also investing A$2.4 million in fuel infrastructure upgrades at Brisbane Airport. The funding will help Viva Energy refurbish an existing fuel tank at the Pinkenba Terminal to store and supply blended SAF for commercial flights. ARENA’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Funding Initiative has committed A$33.5 million across multiple projects to support domestic SAF production and reduce aviation emissions. Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA, emphasized that domestic flights contribute approximately 2% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, making SAF development crucial to achieving national net-zero goals. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen highlighted that producing SAF domestically would strengthen Australia’s fuel supply while promoting cleaner, more secure energy sources. The Queensland biorefinery project is expected to create around 300 construction jobs and 100 permanent roles, contributing to regional economic growth. Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has indicated that the country possesses sufficient domestic feedstock to produce up to five billion liters of SAF annually by 2025, positioning it as a key player in sustainable aviation fuel production.