Griffith University engineers are collaborating with Queensland-based biogas energy developer Utilitas to develop advanced biogas technologies and processes that will recover energy, nutrients and water from organic waste.
Griffith School of Engineering lecturer Dr Prasad Kaparaju says the project could have huge ramifications for Queensland and Australia, providing a much-needed boost in biofuels expertise and capabilities.
The project will initially focus on cane trash and other waste from crops, but once the economics are proven on a large scale, it could be applied to other organic waste like lawn clippings and garden cuttings, helping divert these waste items from the 20 million tonnes of organic waste that become landfill in Australia each year.
"More than half of the organic waste from domestic and industrial sources that is deposited in landfill in Queensland each year, could instead be used for clean energy generation if the project moves from concept to commissioning stage," explained Dr Kaparaju.
With energy costs rising, Dr Kaparaju says it's time Australia starts ramping up its involvement in the biofuels industry — and this project is a step towards that.
The need to develop the biogas industry in Australia is demonstrated by statistics: Australia currently produces only 127 million cubic metres of biogas per year from 41 biogas plants, with biogas contributing to about two percent of the total renewable electricity capacity in Australia.
In contrast, Germany, a world biogas leader, has 8000 biogas plants, and 4GW of installed capacity, with biogas supplying more than 8 million households with energy each year. The German biogas industry employs 40,000 people and contributes $11.25 billion to the economy.
Utilitas CEO Fiona Waterhouse says the leading biofuels at Griffith University, as well as the university's local connections cemented the company's decision to enter into the partnership.
“Utilitas is moving its Biomethane Potential (BMP) testing equipment to Griffith University because we see them as leading researchers in this area,” she said.
“Together we can scale up laboratory results to a large-scale biogas plant design and operation.”
According to Dr Kaparaju the partnership between Utilitas and Griffith would be valuable for both parties.
“Utilitas is a leading biogas energy developer, looking to develop new concepts and construct biogas plants to treat a wide range of feedstocks and develop innovative high-value byproducts. So the business collaboration makes sense for the university,” he said.
Energy will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.