Narrogin project awarded Clean Energy Future Fund grant

Future Energy Australia (FEA) has welcomed a State Government grant of $2 million for the planning, construction, and commissioning of a renewable diesel biorefinery near Narrogin in WA’s Wheatbelt region.

The project is the first commercial-scale renewable diesel production facility in Australia.

FEA Chair Adrian Cook said the Clean Energy Future Fund (CEFF) grant would assist FEA to accelerate the pilot project towards feasibility and production, which is currently scheduled to commence late-2023.

“Our project has the potential to transform the approach to fuel production and use for individuals, businesses and organisations looking to reduce their carbon footprint,” he said.

“The benefits are not exclusive to fuel users, with additional by-products produced in the biorefining process such as biochar and wood vinegar providing important soil improvement opportunities to the agricultural sector.

“We’re really excited to push forward with developing the refinery and implementing our technology, which has the ability to create a circular economy, regional employment opportunities and significant carbon emission reduction.”

Funding provided by the CEFF will be invested towards project development, financial close, preliminary site works, construction and commissioning of the first of four biorefining modules.

World-leading engineering and technology firm Technip Energies is currently carrying out Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the refining facility, which will be located on a site near Narrogin.

Once built, the biorefinery will convert sustainably sourced woody biomass such as cuttings from ecological thinning, oil mallees and plant-based agricultural waste into renewable diesel using high-temperature pyrolysis.

Renewable diesel can replace conventional diesel without requiring modifications to diesel engines. It burns cleaner and has a lower emissions profile compared to conventional diesel. The produced renewable diesel also has the potential to be further refined into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

FEA Executive Director Jennifer Lauber Patterson also welcomed the funding and thanked the WA Government for its support of the project.

“This is an acknowledgement of the clear benefits renewable diesel can bring to reducing carbon emissions and creating a carbon-neutral alternative fuel in regional Western Australia,” she said.

“After more than a year of planning, development and stakeholder engagement, we have confirmed a site, are advanced in front end engineering and design and have feedstock and offtake agreements in train.

“We look forward to working with the Narrogin and nearby communities to make FEA’s biorefinery into a multi-generational, region-building project.”

The WA government launched the CEFF in April 2020 to support the implementation of innovative clean energy projects in Western Australia which offer high public value, with a focus on projects near the investment-ready stage and applications with a strong potential for wider adoption.

About FutureEnergy Australia

FEA was established in 2021 to build and operate renewable fuel biorefineries in Western Australia and establish Australia’s first large-scale renewable fuel business.

About renewable diesel

Renewable diesel is a 100 per cent carbon-neutral fuel that can be used as a cleaner alternative energy source for transport, mining, electricity generation and a range of other applications. It can be used as a drop-in replacement for conventional petroleum diesel.