LIQUID FUEL PRODUCTION FROM AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY IN AUSTRALIA: RESUME OF A SURVEY OF THE NATIONAL POTENTIAL

Fuels from crops and forests are one of the alternative options for future energy supplies. A survey of the national potential to produce ethanol and methanol from arable crops, forestry and their residues shows that more than half of present liquid fuels used in transport could be met from such sources without reducing national food and fibre production from crops. The estimated retail prices of such fuels, assuming taxes and distribution costs as for motor spirit, are more than twice the retail price of motor spirit. The cost of methanol from coal is so much lower than the cost of alcohols from biomass that there are no economic reasons for initiating production of alcohols from biomass at present, but there are several reasons why research and development on alcohols from biomass should be continued (A). (TRRL)