Fuelling the future - Queensland’s sustainable aviation revolution

This isn’t an imagined ideal; Queensland is leading the way in making this a reality with a transformative initiative building a domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.

SAF – commonly made from agricultural products and by-products and used to replace or supplement traditional fossil jet fuel – is a clear and immediate way to reduce the environmental impact of airline travel.

Why grow the SAF industry?

SAF is an alternative to fossil derived aviation fuel and can be made from a range of feedstocks such as tallow, ethanol or solid municipal waste. It is a drop-in fuel meaning its chemical and physical characteristics are almost identical to those of conventional jet fuel. It can be:

• safely mixed with the latter to varying degrees (currently up to 50%)
• uses the same supply infrastructure
• does not require adaptation of aircraft or engines.

Queensland is internationally recognised as one of the best locations to establish an Australasian SAF supply chain because it already produces significant SAF feedstock such as tallow, biomass and agricultural residues. Our state also has the potential to grow alternative feedstocks such as pongamia and carinata.

The need for SAF is increasing rapidly, with a 2024 Rabobank research report indicating that global demand will grow tenfold by 2030. By then, an Australian SAF industry could be worth $3 billion annually, while potentially creating up to 15,600 jobs – mostly in regional areas – by 2050.

What is the Queensland Government doing to support the SAF industry?

The Queensland Government’s strategic investments, robust partnerships, and supportive policies for SAF initiatives are setting the stage for a sustainable future.

With recent Queensland government support, Wagner Sustainable Fuels and Liquid Power are progressing studies for SAF refineries. This underscores our commitment to a new economic opportunity and lays the groundwork for a diverse industry across the state.

Our funding towards Jet Zero’s feasibility study for a biorefinery in the Townsville State Development Area puts it in a prime position to attract investors such as Qantas, Airbus and Idemitsu as it progresses towards detailed design and final investment decision.

We’re also working with Ampol as it investigates the production of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel at its Lytton refinery in Brisbane, and we’ve forged a key partnership with Qantas to collaborate on the growth of a Queensland SAF industry.

With Industry Partnership Program funding, Energreen Nutrition Australia Pty Ltd (Energreen) will also establish a new multi-seed crushing and processing facility at Yamala in Central Queenslan . The planning for the facility is underway and when complete, will have the capacity to process 70,000 tonnes per annum of oilseeds, with a longer-term vision to interface with pongamia oil production – a potential SAF feedstock.

All these partnerships and initiatives towards building Queensland’s SAF industry are supported by comprehensive policies such as the Queensland New Industry Development Strategy and the Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan. These frameworks enable Queensland to capitalise on our existing strengths to meet the growing global and national demand for SAF, ensuring our actions are both timely and impactful.

What does SAF mean for Queenslanders?

Simply put, it translates to tangible benefits across our communities – environmentally and economically.

Environmentally, SAF is crucial to achieve our goal of net zero emissions by 2050, with the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to traditional jet fuel. For a state as ecologically diverse as ours, this presents an invaluable opportunity to protect our natural heritage for future generations.

Economically, developing Queensland’s SAF industry means creating new jobs and boosting local economies. From construction and engineering roles to ongoing operational jobs, the economic ripple effect will be significant.

The move to sustainable fuel across the globe could create future jobs right here. Queensland is in an ideal position to benefit from job growth and economic opportunities from the move to SAF. You can find out how your region will capitalise on the transition at www.qld.gov.au/wearethefuture

Queensland is well on the way to becoming not just one of the best locations to establish an Australasian sustainable aviation fuel supply chain, but a true Asia-Pacific green jet fuel hub.