Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker Griggs, may I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your new role.

Ryan is blessed with many outstanding research facilities. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Professor Ben Hankamer and Dr Evan Stephens from the University of Queensland Institute of Molecular Bioscience to learn more about the cutting-edge research they are undertaking with algae.

Professor Hankamer leads the Solar Biofuels Consortium, which is working to develop sustainable solar- powered fuel, bioproduct and bioremediation systems, based on microalgae. The consortium is made up of many international multidisciplinary teams from industry and universities, all working together to conduct advanced and targeted research and development in biology, engineering and systems development.

As we look towards a future with cleaner, more affordable and sustainable energy sources a number of different perspectives must be explored. Professor Hankamer's research is focused on developing single-celled green algae, or microalgae, capable of capturing solar energy and converting it to chemical energy for clean fuel and food production.

Biofuel is no new topic. Research and trials using sugarcane and corn to produce ethanol as a 'fuel of the future' have been investigated for decades. We all remember when E10—10 per cent ethanol fuel—was first available at the petrol station. While it is often easy to become excited at the prospect of a new renewable source of energy, just as quickly as a potential new answer to our fossil fuel dependence surfaced it was disputed and viewed as unviable for one reason or another.

The primary problem with traditional biofuels is that they are currently inefficient to either produce or use, unable to be produced en masse or come at the cost of another vital resource, such as food. By definition, biofuels are a fuel derived from a living source, usually requiring large expanses of fertile land, water, nutrients and sunlight, which in themselves are a finite resource.

The attribute that makes Professor Hankamer's research and the research of others in the Solar Biofuels Consortium so important is that it is efficient, does not have the nutrient demand of traditional agriculture and can be grown just about anywhere there is light. Algae is so efficient as a biofuel that researchers estimate it could yield 61,000 litres per hectare, as opposed to just 450 litres from traditional biofuel sources.

Microalgae technology can be located on non-arable land and uses waste and saline water sources, such as the waste water from coal seam gas fracking. This approach means that microalgae technology is becoming recognised as a viable option to eliminate the 'food versus fuel' debate of earlier biofuel systems, such as sugarcane for ethanol.

This can result in new economic opportunities for arid regions. Microalgae systems produce products on a continuous basis as opposed to a seasonal basis, as occurs with crops. Microalgae technology is not just limited to one form of fuel; it can produce hydrogen. By altering the algae's usual biocycle, researchers can force algae to produce pure hydrogen as a by-product of its normal respiration. Hydrogen is theoretically the most efficient form of biofuel. Hydrogen is usually split from water using a process called electrolysis, which usually requires more energy than is produced by hydrogen. The algae method only requires the sun, water and some sugar.

Microalgae technology can produce oil-based fuels. Microalgae produce oils that can be extracted for the production of aviation and diesel fuels. These oils can also be used to make plastics, further reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Microalgae can produce ethanol directly as a by-product of normal biological processes, in a similar way to yeast being used in the brewing process. The microalgae biomass, normally considered waste, can be anaerobically decomposed to produce methane. This means that a large proportion of the nutrients in the biomass can be recovered and recycled.

Microalgae systems can produce bioproducts. There are a multitude of biomolecules that can be found in the leftover algae biomass. These can be extracted as a source for pigments, omega-3 fatty acids, other nutraceuticals (nutritional products with proven health benefits), protein-rich fish and animal feeds, amino acids, complex sugars and a range of high-value oils. Microalgae also absorb nutrients for growth. This process can be used for a range of bioremediation processes, such as domestic waste water treatment and the bioremediation of mine sites. I was particularly excited to learn about this last point during my meeting with Professor Hankamer and Dr Stephens. In my home state of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is under serious threat from the crown-of-thorns starfish which recent research has shown is a greater contributing factor to the reef's degradation than climate change. The greater number of crown-of-thorns starfish is as a result of high nutrients run-off from farms into water systems which eventually end up in the Great Barrier Reef. This issue of nutrient run-off affects both federal and state levels of government. The research being done at the University of Queensland on algae systems provides a potential answer to the problem. Bioremediation using algae is the process where 'good' algae species are introduced to waterways impacted by nutrient run-off. As the algae grows, it draws up the unwanted nutrients from the water. The algae can then be captured and placed back onto the land as fertiliser for crops. This type of algae is not the blue-green, 'bad' algae that is responsible for the destruction of many waterways, but a responsible and viable method of improving our waterways, saving the Great Barrier Reef and assisting farmers to grow their crops.

Under the direction of Professor Hankamer, the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, in partnership with industry and the Queensland Government, is researching higher efficiency strains of microalgae and developing one of Australia's most sophisticated algal biofuels pilot plants. I look forward to working with the federal and state governments as well as with Professor Ben Hankamer and his team at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience to turn this impressive research into reality. There are trials happening already.

It saddens me that despite there being so much cutting-edge and world-leading research into sustainable fuel happening in Australia, the previous Labor/Greens government instead preferred to promote a combustible home insulation scheme and an economy-wide tax to reduce Australia's carbon footprint. Investing in important Australian scientific research relevant to tackling tomorrow's problems today is direct action that will achieve real results.

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