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Research Projects >> Native Agri-Forestry
Native agri-forestry and bio-energy project for the Western Edge of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
Partners:
Catchment Management Authorities (Hawkesbury-Nepean, Central West and Lachlan)
Central Tablelands Alliance (Oberon, Lithgow and Mid-Western Regional Councils)
Chief Researchers:
Peter Ampt and Alex Baumber (FATE Program UNSW), John Mathews (Macq Uni) John Merson (UNSW/BMWHI), Sandy Booth, Joe Landsberg (ex-CSIRO), Peter Rogers (UNSW)
Funding Sought:
A full proposal submitted to RIRDC Biofuels and Bioproducts Program was accepted in March 2008 and submitted with other projects for funding under Climate Change and Bio-energy allocation of the Dept of Agriculture Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) in Sept 08. A decision is expected in July 2009. We are asking for $200,000 from RIRDC with research organisation support of $360,000 and industry support of $180,000.
Project Overview:
This two-year project would aim to develop a model for the strategic assessment and development of the bioenergy industry potential of a region, using the Central Tablelands of NSW as a case study. This area is ideal to build a transferable regional assessment and development model exploring:
- Existing bioenergy and bioproduct feedstock resources (primarily forestry residues);
- The potential for new feedstocks from mixed-species plantations;
- The feasibility of various bioenergy / bioproduct options; and
- The potential to contribute to landscape-scale natural resource management goals.
Bioenergy is a small but growing component of Australia’s energy sector, with growth driven by an increasing desire to reduce dependency on non-renewable and greenhouse-intensive fossil fuels. At the same time, many regions such as the Central Tablelands are experiencing land degradation, declining viability of traditional farming/forestry activities and increased threats to biodiversity and livelihoods due to climate change. Opportunities may exist in regions such as this for new industries based on bioenergy and other products from mixed-species native plantations. This change in land-use has the potential to drive new rural industries and to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.
Bioenergy options for consideration in this project include:
- Co-firing for electricity generation (eg Wallerawang power station in the case study area);
- Co-generation for heat and electricity used in an integrated processing plant;
- Wood pellets for heat generation (for which export opportunities are growing to Europe);
- Pyrolysis for bio-oil, char and other products;
- Second-generation biofuels such as lignocellulosic ethanol
The project involves a diverse research team made up of interdisciplinary university researchers, local government and industry representatives, regional natural resource management bodies, experts in bioenergy technology, policy and markets, forestry growth modeling and community participation.
