MEDIA RELEASE
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) welcomes the ‘Bioenergy Roadmap’ released by the South Australian Government, which highlights the opportunities and potential to further develop the bioenergy industry.
The Roadmap identifies Mount Gambier and Penola as significant areas for bioenergy, taking into account the availability of forestry and timber processing biomass residues.
South Australian Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, the Hon Tom Koutsantonis, said “Biomass resources are a sustainable and environmentally-friendly feedstock that will contribute significantly to diversifying our energy sources. Electricity, transportation fuels, chemicals and materials currently produced from petroleum and natural gas could instead be produced from these biomass resources.”
AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ross Hampton said “This is a very positive report into the potential of the bioenergy sector in South Australia to contribute to a clean energy future. Presently, bioenergy represents less than 1% of power generation in Australia, but it could, and should, be a much higher percentage”.
“Given the recently announced commitment by the Australian Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030, investment in all forms of low emission and renewable sources of energy will be necessary into the future.”
“The forest, wood and paper products industry contributes around 7,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs in South Australia.”
“With a well-established forest products industry, the state is well positioned to be at the forefront of the emerging green bio-economy, by better utilising the biomass residues from forestry and processing operations.”
“With the right policy settings, we look forward to the forest products industry contributing to the South Australian Government agenda to maximise the opportunities and benefits from the bioenergy industry.”
The ‘Bioenergy Roadmap for South Australia’ is available here: www.renewablessa.sa.gov.au