Boeing is developing jet bio-fuel blends, using natural sources such as algae.

Brisbane business leaders will be treated to a fascinating insight into the three companies actively pursuing commercialisation of technology that makes better use of our natural resources at the Innovation Series luncheon.

The lunch, presented by Zernike Australia, will launch Enable2010, a week-long Brisbane festival celebrating excellence in innovation.

Boeing Research and Technology general manager for Australia, Bill Lyons will outline Boeing's role in commercial aviation's push for the world's first approved aviation bio-fuel blend next year.

"Sustainable aviation fuel offers the largest single opportunity for reducing aviation greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

"Three or four years ago, people said it was not possible.

"The global aviation industry is uniquely positioned to pioneer sustainable aviation bio-fuel with fewer than 20,000 aircraft and only a few hundred airport fuelling stations."

Approval of a 50 percent bio-fuel blend potentially offered a significant reduction in aviation carbon dioxide emissions, taking into account the total lifecycle of bio-fuel compared with petroleum, he said.

Dr Lyons said the fuel would not require any aircraft modifications or changes to airport fuel handling procedures.

"We're moving closer to fuel approval now and the main challenges are around scale-up and viability," Dr Lyons said.

"We're focused on triple-bottom-line sustainability which means we won't source it from a food crop or jeopardise drinking water supplies, we don't want to cause mass deforestation and we're aiming to ensure the production improves socio-economic conditions for small-scale farmers."

ALGAE SOLUTIONS

Dr Lyons said sustainable bio-fuels would be derived from a variety of plant sources.

"Algae is a compelling plant source as it is simple, photosynthetic organism, requiring a relatively small amount of land and can be harvested in brackish water where other crops don't flourish," he said. 

Algae is also the key to dramatically reducing CO2 emissions from existing coal and gas-fired power stations according to MBD Energy Limited Managing Director Andrew Lawson.

MBD Energy Limited has successfully partnered with one of the world's leading algal research teams, based at James Cook University to develop a test facility capable of producing 14,000 litres of oil and 25,000kg of algal meal for every 100 tonnes of CO2 consumed.

"This project has the potential to sequester 50 percent of power station CO2 emissions and to produce large volumes of sustainable oil and meal which is blended with carbohydrates to produce cattle feed," he said.

Mr Lawson said the company planned to roll out a 1ha display project at three of Australia's largest coal-fired power stations: Brisbane's Tarong power station, Loy Yang Power in Victoria and Eraring Energy in NSW, from February next year.

"The project will then be scaled up in 2012 to 80ha, abating 70,000 tonnes of CO2 producing 11.8 million litres of algae oil and 25,000 tonnes of stock feed, resulting in an estimated $15-20million of revenue per annum."

Mr Lawson said the cattle feed was highly nutritious, leading to greater weight gain and milk production while reducing methane gases by between 20-40 percent.  The oil output was used to produce diesel.

CLEAN WATER MIMICS NATURE

Biolytix Group CEO David Cattell will outline how his company is using technology that mimics the way nature treats water to create a more efficient and sustainable solution to water scarcity.

"Contrary to what we have been doing for centuries - copying what happens in the rivers - our scientists looked at where water is really treated - in the river bed, through layers of peaty soil, worms and at a microbial level," mR cATTELL said.

"We have taken that process and replicated it to create a product that enables us to treat waste onsite using less than 10 percent of the electricity of conventional systems - effectively an entire ecosystem in a tank."

Mr Cattell said the company was currently targeting households off the sewerage grid and treating ‘black water' for use in irrigation thus reducing the load on potable water reserves.

He said the clean technology could be up-scaled and used in the conventional water grids but the challenge was to shift the thinking of government and the public to integrate it into the existing commercial business model.

"Regulations need to be modified and government needs to recognise the need for change to allow third parties to come in," Mr Cattell said.

Innovation Series Executive Leader from Zernike Australia, Gill Laird-Portch, said the speakers were inspirational and vividly illustrated that reducing our ecology footprint could go hand-in-hand with commercial success.

"The organisers and sponsors are proud to have attracted these world-leading companies who will share their knowledge and insights into forging exciting new ways of solving some of our biggest challenges," she said.

www.innovationseries.com.au

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