The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed a staggering AU$30 million towards fostering the growth of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) within the nation. This recent development seeks to facilitate the advancement of commercial or pre-commercial SAF manufacturing through an open call for proposals, with each winning proposition earning a grant that could exceed AU$1 million.
These funds are designated to aid the progress of crucial project development activities, engineering feasibility studies, as well as the construction of pilot-scale and pre-commercial production facilities. However, applicants must prove that their initiatives employ or process a suitable renewable feedstock and production pathway. It’s noteworthy that pathways involving power-to-liquids (PtL) and e-fuels production will be deemed ineligible for this initiative.
This ambitious project stems from ARENA’s 2021 Bioenergy Roadmap findings, which suggested that SAF, created from renewable biomass, could satisfy nearly 19 percent of Australia’s aviation fuel demands by 2030.
ARENA’s CEO, Darren Miller, emphasized the importance of sustainable aviation solutions for Australia, a country heavily dependent on aviation for both passenger and cargo transportation. He said, “It’s of utmost importance that we explore avenues to cut down emissions from this critical sector. Given our rich resources in agriculture, waste, and residues, Australia is uniquely positioned to nurture a flourishing domestic biofuel industry.”
Interested parties are invited to apply for the SAF initiative. The window for submitting expressions of interest will remain open until November 1.
