Renergi receives over $5m for pilot plant

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will award start-up private company Renergi with $5.2 million (€4.5 million) in funding for the design and construction of a pilot-scale biofuel plant in Perth.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht explains that the project would result in simple, cost effective production of renewable energy from biomass: 'Renergi was created out of Curtin University to commercialise some of its bioenergy ideas. Renergi is aiming to scale up existing technology successfully developed with ARENA funding support.'

Frischknecht continues: 'A 100kg per hour biomass conversion (pyrolysis) unit will be designed and constructed along with a complementary 20 litre per hour biorefinery unit. Biomass like agricultural waste and mallee can be used to produce products that replace fossil fuels, including bio-oil and advanced biofuels. Renergi's approach would allow green bio-crude to be produced by conversion units at the source of feedstocks and refined into high quality transport biofuels at a large central refinery."

Frischknecht goes on to say that the technology has the potential to reduce the cost of bioenergy by offering novel approaches to conversion and refining processes: 'Existing processes require agricultural waste crops to first be ground into smaller pieces, costing considerable time and energy.

'Renergi's solution aims to streamline this step by incorporating steel grinding balls into a rotating biomass conversation unit, allowing simultaneous break-down and gasification. The plant will operate at low temperatures and close to atmospheric pressure increasing safety and reducing energy requirements and capital costs. Successful development of an effective bioenergy technology could have significant export potential as well as being good for Australia's biofuels industry.'

The $12.9 million project is scheduled for completion in October 2017.

 

SOURCE: ARENA