A new, unique biofuel research testing facility at QUT will help speed up the race to drastically reduce Australia's carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.
Australia's only biofuel engine research facility will enable testing of a range of biofuels, from used cooking oil to algae, and new engine technologies with the aim of producing engines tailor-made for particular biofuels.
Dr Richard Brown, from the new Biofuel Engine Research Facility, said the facility would test the emissions, efficiency and engine performance of renewable fuel made from plant material.
"We will test ethanol made from waste sugar cane and grain and biodiesel made from food-based material such as canola oil, waste cooking oil and tallow as well as biodiesel made from algae, waste timber, green waste and sugar cane waste," Dr Brown said.
"Biodiesel very often produces fewer emissions than ordinary fuel but not always - engines are complicated and so we need to test a variety of fuels and engine types commonly used in the mining, industrial and transport sectors.
"Our aim will be to provide engine manufacturers with the information they need to build the most efficient tailor-made engines for particular fuels."
Dr Brown said researchers were cognisant of the concern that biofuels would cause land to be diverted to growing biofuel crops instead of food crops and contribute to the world food shortage.
"We will be working with Professor James Dale from QUT's Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities who is pioneering the use of sugarcane waste as a biofuel," he said.
"Many of the fuels we are testing are from other waste products such as timber and oils that would otherwise be thrown away.
"We are focussing on biodiesels because Australia's transport sector contributes 15 per cent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions."
The facility had already had a lot of interest from the automotive and industry sectors.
"We have had many inquiries from people who want different aspects of research done. It is an area of great interest to many people particularly anyone interested in cars and engines," Dr Brown said.
The QUT Biofuel Engine Research Facility is being opened by Dr John Cole, acting general manager of the Office of Clean Energy, at QUT Gardens Point at 2.40pm.
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 1841 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au.
