The Queensland Government has joined forces with airline giant Qantas to get Queensland’s vision to be an Asia-Pacific green jet fuel hub on the runway.
Under a memorandum of understanding, the Queensland Government and Qantas will work together to further grow a local sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.
This will include exploring how to fully leverage sugarcane and agricultural by-products for biofuels production and the potential for developing new feedstock sources and processes.
More broadly, the parties will focus on developing a Queensland-based SAF supply chain.
SAF is yet to be produced in Australia at commercial scale.
Qantas currently uses green aviation fuel sourced overseas and is targeting 10 per cent SAF in its fuel mix by 2030, and about 60 per cent by 2050.
In March this year, the Palaszczuk Government, Qantas and Airbus announced support for Jet Zero Australia to commence a feasibility study for a new biorefinery in Queensland, which could produce up to 100 million litres of SAF a year.
The government has also partnered with Ampol and ENEOS, which will assess the feasibility of delivering an advanced biofuels manufacturing plant at Ampol’s Lytton site.
Oceania Biofuels also plans to build a commercial aviation fuel biorefinery in Gladstone, which could generate up to 350 million litres of SAF and renewable diesel each year.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said when it came to decarbonising the skies, Queensland is the place to invest.
Miles said: “Growing our SAF industry is one of those opportunities that will fuel Queensland’s economic future and contribute to decarbonisation targets.
“With our rich supply of feedstock and skilled workforce, Qantas, and the world, has recognised Queensland as an ideal location to establish an Australasian SAF supply chain.
“Partnerships like this one with Qantas position Queensland as a SAF hub, along with the right mix of investment, government support and policy, and industry collaboration.
“Importantly, growing industries that will be in demand in a decarbonising world will create more good jobs for Queenslanders and new export opportunities.
“This is another step towards Queensland’s take-off as a clean energy superpower.”
