Biofuels 'should Come From Non-food Crops'

The Age

Tuesday November 18, 2008

Mathew Murphy

BIOFUELS from non-food crops should be used to enhance Australia's energy security, not those that come at the expense of food production, says a report by a leading science organisation.

Research by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering found that Generation 1 biofuels, or those that come from basic food stocks such as sugar and wheat, were unlikely to develop into a substantial industry in Australia without government mandates or subsidies.

This was because of competition for scarce resources, including water and agricultural land for food production.

The report is more optimistic about Generation 2 and Generation 3 biofuels, which are derived from non-food crops and algae. It says that resources to produce these types of biofuels are abundant, although these biofuels are not yet cost competitive.

To make biofuels a more realistic option, the report recommends that the Federal Government establish a national biofuels institute, similar to the Carbon Capture & Storage Institute. It proposes that the Federal Government provide $15million a year for five years to support research and development.

The report says that at present Australia has the capacity to produce "only about 1.5% of transport liquid fuels". -- MATHEW MURPHY

© 2008 The Age

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