Businesses and investors now have access to a data-rich platform which maps out Australia’s biomass hotspots. Biomass is dead organic matter and can be found in rubbish tips, farms and forest waste, and can be used to generate bioenergy, including electricity, heat and transport fuels.
The Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI) platform collates data from AgriFutures Australia’s Australian Biomass and Bioenergy Assessment (ABBA) project, and maps available biomass resources across Australia.
AgriFutures Australia ABBA Project Manager, Julie Bird, said AREMI creates better links between potential biomass suppliers, such as farmers and foresters, and end users.
“The platform is supporting businesses to get more value from organic material, often destined for landfill, by improving information, access and quality,” said Ms Bird.
The AREMI platform helps researchers, policy makers and bioenergy project investors make decisions on renewable energy development opportunities. In Queensland, Southern Oil used the AREMI data to identify 12 primary processing sites for biomass, which was then transported to their bioenergy refinery in Gladstone.