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Eco Investor May 2020 Features Bioenergy From Weed Infestations - Submission to the ARENA Bioenergy Roadmap7 May 2020 Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's Bioenergy Roadmap. My main suggestion is to explore the idea of utilizing Australia's many major weed infestations as feedstock for bioenergy. A detailed business case could examine the areas of major infestations, the employment and regional development that could be created through weeding and ongoing eradication programs, the energy content of each type of infestation, the forms of bioenergy for which the feedstocks are suited, whether the feedstocks are suitable for processing in existing energy facilities or require new facilities, whether such weeding can be done commercially or requires government support, and the environmental benefits of the weeding and eradication programs, among other aspects. I will give one example of how such a program could operate. Unfortunately, there are significant weed infestations in many national parks, state recreation areas and other public lands in the area bounded by Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and Wollongong. For example, there are major infestations of numerous types of weeds along and in the lands adjacent to the Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers - such as at Bents Basin and at Cattai National Park. There are significant infestations of lantana and other weeds along the M1 Freeway between Sydney and Newcastle and in the Wollongong region such as at Killalea State Park. The volumes of weed biomass are sufficient to require significant work to deweed and eliminate. There is enough for several if not many teams to be employed in a full time and ongoing capacity. The biomass could be regularly trucked to a suitable facility or facilities for processing into a suitable form of energy such as biogas, baseload electricity and biofuel. This model may be suitable for many other near-urban and regional locations around Australia. There are also likely to be opportunities for smaller and portable power plants. The missing ingredients for a large-scale weed biomass to energy sector are the information to develop viable eradication programs, commercialization pathways and facilities, and suitable government support if needed; together with the entrepreneurship and business wherewithal to make it happen. I hope this suggestion is useful, and that the upcoming Roadmap is successful in helping to develop the huge potential of Australia's bioenergy sector. Victor Bivell
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