Bioenergy

Bioenergy is the largest form of renewable energy in Australia and the world.

Also known as “biomass”, it’s made from plant-derived organic matter, organic by-products and waste streams. This organic matter is used to produce heat, cooling, electricity, transport fuel and a host of different products.

In Tasmania, an abundance of under-utilised biomass makes bioenergy an attractive, cost-effective form of renewable energy. Thanks to our readily available resources, we can adopt bioenergy easily and rapidly, replacing fossil fuels in every market. It has great potential for fueling transport, injection into the gas network and powering industrial hubs and processes, hospitals, nursing homes, aquatic centres, schools, shopping centres and large buildings.

This position is supported by work of the Australian Biomass to Bioenergy Assessment project (ABBA), who conducted a biomass resource audit of Tasmania’s organic wastes to identify sources, types and quantities or organic matter that may be available for bioenergy production. The ABBA project was part-funded with a $240,000 grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and AgriFutures.

Bioenergy Vision Tasmania

The Bioenergy Vision for Tasmania was released on 27 March 2023, Tasmania’s bioenergy vision: To embed bioenergy as a valued renewable resource for the Tasmanian economy, community, and environment as an aid to energy production, waste management and resource recovery and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

View the Bioenergy Vision for Tasmania here (PDF) (WORD)

Developing a Bioenergy Vision for Tasmania

A key action of the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan, the draft Bioenergy Vision for Tasmania was developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders and released for public feedback consultation from 15 December 2021 to 14 February 2022.

During public consultation eighteen submissions were received (three of which were joint submissions). Respondents included environmental groups, investors, bioenergy industry representatives, regulators, infrastructure providers and individual respondents. There was broad support for the draft Bioenergy Vision with most stakeholders holding consistent views around key themes such as decarbonisation, waste management, sustainability and the importance of education. Some stakeholders however did not support the approach of the Bioenergy Vision, particularly in relation to issues such as the inclusion of forest biomass (particularly native forest) in bioenergy production.

View the Summary Feedback on the Draft Bioenergy Vision here.

Bioenergy case studies

• TIMBERLINK renewable heat
• AUSTRAL Bricks renewable heat
• LMS Landfill Biogas
• TasWater Biogas - The renewable gas
• Cascade Brewery Biogas - the renewable gas

Related policy documents

• Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan
• Waste Action Plan
• Climate Change (State Action) Act 2008
• Competitiveness of Tasmanian Agriculture for 2050 White Paper
• Strategic Growth Plan for the Tasmanian Forests, Fine Timers and Wood Fibre Industry (2017)
• Tasmanian Wood Encouragement Policy