From: stock and Land - 19/08/2008
The Queensland Government has re-affirmed its commitment to compulsory 5pc ethanol in blended fuel by 2010, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ease the financial burden, as well as reduce reliance on increasingly expensive oil imports.
A $2.5 million upgrade to Caltex's Brisbane fuel distribution centre, providing new ethanol storage and blending facilities, was opened on Monday by Qld Industry Minister Desley Boyle, to boost the state's ethanol blended fuel capacity, as part of this plan.
Ms Boyle said the new facilities would help one of Australia's biggest petrol companies meet rising demand for ethanol blended fuel, particularly in south-east Queensland.
"This is another major step forward in the Government's commitment to a 5pc ethanol mandate by 2010," Ms Boyle said.
"The Queensland Government is working in close partnership with industry to grow the state's ethanol industry, with Caltex agreeing to buy at least 30 million litres of ethanol annually for three years from the new Dalby Biorefinery, due to open later this year.
"Queensland currently produces about 32 million litres of fuel ethanol per annum, with all of this derived from molasses, a by-product of sugar production.
"Under the Government's 2010 planned five percent ethanol mandate, the State would need to be able supply 170 million litres per year of ethanol blended fuel to motorists."
Ethanol in Queensland is produced at CSR's Sarina plant, with the facility expected to increase production to about 60 million litres per year in 2009.
Additional production is expected from the Dalby Biorefinery later this year, which has a production capacity of approximately 90 million litres per annum.
There are also plans for a third facility at the Rocky Point Sugar Mill near Beenleigh.
Ms Boyle says the Queensland Government is committed to bio fuels, given the fact that ethanol blended fuel helps us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ease the financial burden on Queenslanders as well as reduce the State's reliance on increasingly expensive oil imports.
"When we launched our Ethanol Industry Action Plan in 2005 to promote the uptake of ethanol blended fuel among motorists, about 40 service stations in Queensland offered the fuel," Ms Boyle said.
"Today, you can buy ethanol blended fuels at over 370 service stations across the State.
"Thanks to the Government's +e marketing campaign, the number of Queensland motorists trialling ethanol blended fuel rose from one-in-six to two-in-five over the 2005 to 2007 period."
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