Newsroom

April 26, 2022

KATTER’S AUSTRLIAN PARTY (KAP) MPs and candidates in Far North Queensland, including Bob Katter, Shane Knuth, and Rod Jensen, are pushing for the installation of increased capacity of co-generation electricity and steam (made from bagasse) in the region’s sugar mills, as well as the development of plants that produce ethanol fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Kennedy MP, Bob Katter, said fuel and electricity sovereignty and security had never been more essential as China continues its aggressive move into the South Pacific and Russia wages war in Europe cutting supplies of key resources.  

Mr Katter said moving on bioenergy and biofuels will allow Far North Queensland to lead Australia in providing critical, sustainable energy and fuel services, at an affordable price to the benefit of mills, growers, and the community at large.

“If the KAP have the balance of power after the election, we will use our extraordinary amount of influence to get a Sovereign Fuel Security Bill through federal parliament, which includes a nationwide renewable fuels mandate,” he said.

“This would mean a nearly 20 percent benefit from normal petrol prices to sugarcane farmers, and it would reduce the price of petrol as ethanol fuel would cost $1.05 to $1.10 a litre to produce.”

Mr Katter said sugar mills are now in a unique position to provide baseload electricity if other agricultural and council waste can be used for power production in the months when cane isn’t being crushed.

Currently Queensland’s sugar mills produce enough electricity to power the towns of Mackay and Bundaberg, and the Australian Sugar Milling Council says another 1,000 MWs could be developed.[1]

“Growers can’t compete with Brazil who have ethanol and Thailand and India who have heavy subsidies. Biofuels and bioenergy production would diversify income streams for growers and mills,” Mr Katter said.

“Former Airforce Air Vice-Marshal, John Blackburn, is one hundred precent right in saying that a secure supply of electricity and fuel are essential for national security.[2]

“China has control of 40 percent of the electricity industry.  If electricity is cut off then you have no water supply and no sewerage, as they are powered by electric pumps.

“Liddell coal fired power station is closing[3] and if another two close you’ll be on intermittent power. You’ll have to pray to the Good Lord that the sun shines at night and the wind blows 24/7. So, if we can get sustainable baseload power from our sugar mills than that will be a huge advantage. I will add that any new biofuels or bioenergy plants should be Australian owned.”

State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, said high prices laid squarely at the foot of State and Federal Governments who had done nothing to address fuel security or to develop a biofuels industry.

“It was the KAP that lead the charge and introduced a four percent ethanol mandate into the Queensland parliament, which became law,” he said.

“The State Government are doing nothing to properly enforce this mandate. Communities from Port Douglas to South East Queensland are reliant on a strong sugar cane industry and yet neither level of government is doing anything to diversify and strengthen it.”

              KAP Candidate for the federal seat of Leichhardt, Rod Jensen, said governments should look at systems already in place when investing in sustainable energy.

“Co-generation and ethanol from sugar mills are ready to go with installations to existing mills and growing areas,” he said.

“We know that Europe, the USA and Brazil already heavily invest in bioenergy and ethanol, but in Australia we are way behind.

“We could add hundreds of jobs to the sugar industry and power thousands of homes if both levels of government back bioenergy and biofuels production. Our communities are sustained through our growers and the mills.” 

[1] https://asmc.com.au/sugar-industry-seeks-federal-election-support-for-regional-queensland-jobs-and-growth-11-april-2022/

[2] https://asmc.com.au/sugar-industry-seeks-federal-election-support-for-regional-queensland-jobs-and-growth-11-april-2022/

[3] https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/agl-takes-first-step-in-closing-the-liddell-power-station/news-story/28f171d73ed7acd877c5af142d9fede2