24 INSIGHTS 2018
REAPING
REWARDS
A ‘second generation’ technology is set to eliminate the
food versus fuel tension in the agricultural industry by
making fuel from the waste streams left behind once the
food portion has been harvested from crops.C
urrently, farmers need to decide whether their crops are used
for food or fuel production, as ethanol is produced from the
valuable food portion, known as ‘first generation’ technology.
Ethanol Technologies’ (Ethtec’s) ‘strong acid’ technology
(also known as second generation technology) will use feedstock
waste streams such as wheat straw, cotton stubble, sugarcane ba-
gasse and forest material left behind after the valuable food and fibre
components have been harvested from crops and timber plantations.
In partnership with The University of Newcastle, Newcastle Institute
for Energy and Resources (NIER) and Muswellbrook Shire Council,
Ethtec has received $11.9 million in funding from the Australian Re-
newable Energy Agency (ARENA) to establish a demonstration facility
at Muswellbrook.
In addition to ARENA funding, the $48 million project will be funded
by $11.9 million from industry partners as well as contributions from
Muswellbrook Shire Council and the university.
Ethtec senior biotechnologist Dr Geoff Doherty said the project is
about developing the engineering data behind the process to ensure
it is commercially viable.
“We know you can take waste streams, convert them into sugars
and then turn those sugars into biofuels or green chemicals, but
it’s got to be competitive with crude oil products,” said Dr Doherty.
“The overarching benefit of this technology will revolutionise ag-
ribusiness because farmers will be able to continue to grow crops,
sell the valuable part into the food market and have a second market
for the leftover waste stream.”
With 98% of Australia’s transport energy still derived from fossil
fuels, Dr Doherty said Australia was lagging behind the rest of the
world in the bioenergy sector.
“By displacing a litre of petrol with second generation ethanol,
greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by over 90%.”
Not only will this technology reduce the environmental impact of
ethanol production, but it also has the potential to reduce the cost of
biofuel and could be used to produce renewable plastics, industrial
lubricants and even pharmaceuticals.
Research on the project will be carried out in phases over the
next three to five years and will be tested at a demonstration facility
based in Muswellbrook.
“Our demonstration facility is where we convert the feedstock to
sugars in solution, which is then fermented to ethanol and potentially
other biorenewable products. This pre-commercial facility can pro-
cess around two dry tonnes of biomass per day and will be used to
generate the engineering data to construct commercial-scale plants
with a biomass processing capability in excess of 250 dry tonnes
per day,” Dr Doherty said.
Dr Doherty will work with Professor Peter Lewis from the
School of Environmental and Life Sciences to refine the fermenta-
tion processes of converting sugars into valuable energy and other
biorenewable products.
“With respect to the use of plant waste material, relatively little is
known about how that waste can be efficiently used for the production
of valuable products,” Professor Lewis said.
The university, through Professor Richard Bush from the Interna-
tional Centre for Balanced Land Use, will leverage off the technology
to drive economic diversification of the region.
“This university will capitalise on this unique technology and its
regional location to develop an advanced bioeconomy in the Hunter
Valley, bringing together stakeholders and land managers from across
the value chain to create new jobs and enterprise,” Professor Bush said.
Ethtec has formally partnered with the university’s Newcastle
Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) and Director Professor
Alan Broadfoot said the project poses a wide range of environmental,
social and economic benefits.
“We are proud to be collaborating with Ethtec and look forward to
seeing the outcomes of this revolutionary project applied to agricul-
tural and renewable energy sectors across Australia into the future,”
Professor Broadfoot said.
Ethtec Managing Director and founder Dr Russell Reeves, an
alumnus of the university, said the complementary skills across the
project partners will improve the chance of success.Fuel from waste
FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE