Award Winning Biofuels Project

13 August 2010

Ray Wills, CEO
Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA)
Website: www.wasea.com.au
Email: info@wasea.com.au

The WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) congratulates Curtin University researchers who have made a breakthrough in converting biomass, such as mallee, into “clean” combustible gaseous fuels that can be used to generate a continuous source of electricity, commonly referred to as base load electricity.

Linda Kristjanson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Development, presented the 2010 Curtin Commercial Innovation Award for the best new innovation award to Professor Chun-Zhu Li and his team today.

Li, the Professor and Director of Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Science and Engineering, Curtin University of Technology is a world leader in energy research. Prof Li took up the position of Director in early 2009 to develop novel low emission energy technologies, covering both fossil fuels and renewables.

‘Improvements in biomass-based renewable energy is critically important as there are great opportunities across rural and regional Australia for farmers, communities, and potentially some mine sites, to be self sufficient on energy from renewable sources,’ says Prof Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

‘The technology is also relevant to the growing energy needs of many third world nations – allow energy growth with out additional greenhouse gas emissions, especially Africa, northern India and western China,’ says Prof Wills.

Biomass-to-power is the world’s third largest form of renewable energy after wind and solar. Investment in new capacity in this sector was $10.4 billion 2009, up 16% on 2008.

‘WA SEA welcomes the innovations that in Western Australia can take advantage of oil mallees, small trees abundant in WA and actively planted and farmed to minimise dryland salinity.’

‘The inclusion of mallees as a part of a sustainable, integrated cropping system maximizes farm yield and optimises environmental benefits on landscapes degrading through salinity and soil erosion. Mallees have a number of benefits including reducing water tables and creating wind breaks – and renewable fuel.’

Editors notes:

1. What the world is doing in renewable – United Nations Environment Programme report
2. WA SEA Policy framework via WA SEA website
3. The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) is a chamber of enterprises that has a growing membership of over 350 industry members from a diversity of businesses. WA SEA is the largest energy industry body in Australia.
4. WA SEA bringing you the Energising SE Asia Conference 23-26 March 2011, Perth.

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