The Potential for liquid fuels from agriculture and forestry in Australia

This report is a preliminary assessment of the potential for production of liquid fuels for transport from agricultural and forestry resources in Australia in the next 20 to 40 years, using existing or near- term technologies. These resources include both residues from existing production and crops grown especially as fuel crops on lands that are not used for crops at present. If properly managed they would be renewable fuel resources that could supply liquid fuels indefinitely. The liquid fuels considered are ethanol and methanol. The estimated total net liquid fuel from the sources considered is approximately 420 pj, which is more than half of the 1977-78 use of liquid fuel in transport in Australia of about 700 pj. Thus these sources could make a significant contribution to our liquid fuel needs. The main potential contribution would be from a virtual doubling of the cereal grain and the sugarcane industries. Pure alcohol fuels at the conversion plant using present commercial technology could cost more than three times the 1975-76 price of equivalent motor spirit ex refinery. Adding taxes, distribution costs, and retail costs, their estimated retail cost would be more than twice the retail price of motor spirit. The estimated cost of production of methanol from coal is much lower than the cost of alcohol fuels from biomass. There are no economic reasons for turning to the renewable resource- based alcohol fuels at present. (TRRL)

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