Sapphire Energy San Diego Lab Greenhouse.
Federal Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson AM MP is in the United States raising the profile of Australia’s clean energy capabilities to encourage investment and cooperation in clean energy projects, such as advanced biofuels.
“The United States is looking to biofuels to reduce its dependence on imported oil and decrease the environmental impacts of their energy use,” Minister Ferguson said.
“This visit represents an opportunity for Australia to expand its collaboration with the USA and attract investors to Australia who are looking for new international sites to develop advanced biofuel projects.”
Advanced biofuels are seen as the future of the biofuels industry because they are not derived from or compete with food sources and do not deplete native forests.
The USA has committed to tripling biofuel production by 2022, and in the last two years has announced 40 advanced biofuels projects valued at over USD 850 million. By 2016, the US Navy under Secretary Ray Mabus also plans to deploy a ‘Great Green Fleet’ powered entirely by alternative fuels, including advanced biofuels.
Minister Ferguson met with Secretary Mabus to discuss further opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in advanced biofuels research and commercial development.
While in the USA, Minister Ferguson will also visit a demonstration-scale algal bio-refinery plant near Columbus, New Mexico. The
Sapphire Energy project aims to show that algae can consume about 56 tonnes of CO2 a day and produce, on average, 100 barrels of ‘green crude’ oil a day. The green crude can then be refined into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel as a renewable alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
“Part of our strategy for developing biofuels involves international collaboration,” said Minister Ferguson. “Australia has great potential to grow a range of non-food crops for energy. We also have world-class scientists and expertise in managing large clean energy projects.”
Last year Minister Ferguson released the Advanced Biofuels Study, which outlines Australia’s potential competitive advantages in building an advanced biofuels sector.