In recognition of the global need to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, the Australian Federal Government has already made a serious and substantial commitment to begin the process and set achievable immediate and longer term goals.  It has already determined that the  Australian biofuel usage target for 2010  is 350 megalitres.

The Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon. Ian Macfarlane, has also named bio diesel as one of the biofuels with the greatest commercial prospects in Australia. Perhaps the best measure of the Government’s commitment is its creation of grants to assist the investment of manufacturing plants.

The new Eco Tech bio diesel production plant, is located 35 kilometres north of Brisbane in Queensland. By 2007, it is predicted there will be eight bio diesel refi neries in Australia, up from just two in 2003, and the Eco Tech plant will be producing 30,000,000 litres of bio diesel per annum.

What’s most noteworthy is that the plant will make a massive contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There will be 30,000 fewer tons discharged into the atmosphere each year (based on 50% of the claimed GHG savings published on the UFOP website – 2.2 kilograms per litre usage of bio diesel).