subject: Australia Powers Ahead With Biofuels [print this page] Homes and businesses are not the only establishments upon which to apply the technologies of alternative energy. The environment can also benefit through the use of renewable energy in vehicles, most often in the form of biofuels. Australia has studied the advantages of biofuels and the impact the industry has on the country.
Currently, there is a general consensus amongst the public that there is a deficient supply of vehicles compatible with E10 fuel. E10 refers to blends of fuels containing 90% unleaded petrol and 10% ethanol. According to Heather Brodie, CEO of the Biofuels Association of Australia, the misconception by many citizens in Australia that too few cars exist which are compatible with E10 is that they are unaware that the most of the vehicles manufactured in Australia are compatible with E10 fuel and the majority of imported vehicles are as well.
It is possible that the public is unaware of this due to Australias somewhat slow start in embracing other forms of renewable energy. Biofuels have been used for a number of years in places such as the US, Europe, and Asia, so the technology is proven. Australia has been on board with biofuels for awhile now, but the citizens still remember the times when it was not readily available and the compatible vehicles were in the developmental stages. Ms. Brodie compares the reluctance to accept biofuels as a viable energy source to a time when unleaded petroleum fuels were shunned in favor of super blends. She claims that it is just a matter of getting used to a new method of powering our vehicles.
Australia currently maintains three commercial ethanol plants. All of them are located on the east coast of the country. Although biofuel technology has been utilized for decades, there are still growing pains as far as public perception and expansion of use; therefore, E10 is most readily available near its points of production. In order to encourage biofuel production to spread to other areas of Australia, Federal Government exempts domestically produced ethanol from excise tax until July of 2011. Additionally, Premiers in New South Wales and Queensland have debated the requirement that all petrol fuel be blended with ethanol in these states.
As with any renewable energy source, there will be skepticism toward biofuel because it is a relatively new technology. People tend to fear change, but biofuels are a change for the better, in Australia and the rest of the world.
by: Robert Eckard
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