ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
THE BIOECONOMY
IN REGIONS –
AN ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY
BY DR ELIZABETH PERKINS
In 2015 Renewables SA commissioned a study to
examine South Australia’s Bioenergy potential with
a view to creating a Bioenergy Roadmap for South
Australia. This policy initiative was highlighted as
one of the stand out policies in Australia by the
Bioenergy State of the Nation Report in 2018.
At a national level the Australian Government has
been funding the Australian Biomass for Bioenergy
Assessment project (ABBA). The aim of this
project is to deliver a national database of biomass
resources for bioenergy across Australia taking
a national approach to mapping biomass rather
than it occurring in disjointed ways within regions.
It provides the backbone for a regional approach
to projects ensuring consistent information is more
readily available. These policy frameworks are key
enablers in the uptake of bioenergy across South
Australia. Australian Government. Since 2016 the Bioenergy
Connect Program has been available across South
Australia for individual businesses who produce a
biomass product and have an energy requirement.
The program has included two components:
prefeasibility and feasibility. The Prefeasibility Fund
is an enabling fund designed to help South Australia
accelerate its exploration of bioenergy and the role
it can play for businesses. The Prefeasibility Fund
is a low risk means for businesses to take that first
look at the viability of bioenergy. All businesses
need to do is commit time to engage with an expert
consultant and provide key data. The consultant
then does some basic calculations around whether
they have the ingredients for a successful project.
Over the last two and a half years the Prefeasibility
Fund has supported 21 projects across 6 industries
with businesses from piggeries, food and timber
processors to dairies and olive farms.
The South Australian Bioenergy Roadmap
identified the Limestone Coast as one of the
hotspot areas within South Australia. To facilitate
the Roadmap implementation, the Bioenergy
Connect Program was developed by the South The Feasibility Fund follows the prefeasibility
process. It is designed to assist those businesses
who received a favourable outcome in prefeasibility
to take the next step of undergoing a full viability
assessment of their project. At this point the
Bioenergy seminar 2018
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