Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for the Queensland Government’s new $5 million Queensland Waste to Biofutures Fund (W2B Fund).
The fund will support local companies in developing innovative ways to convert waste into bio-based products – creating investment opportunities and more long-term, high-value jobs across Queensland.
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick said the aim was to make Queensland a world leader in the re-manufacturing of materials to turn waste into bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts.
This includes utilising household food and green waste, tyres and plastics, recovered fats and oils from restaurants, and biosolids from sewerage treatment plants.
The Queensland Waste to Biofutures Fund offers grants from $50,000 to $1 million to develop pilot, demonstration or commercial-scale projects that produce bio-based products instead of fossil fuel-based products.
Through this initiative, the Government is envisioning innovative waste processing technologies will emerge that are scalable and can be deployed across the state, particularly in regional areas of Queensland.
“We’re already doing this at pilot plants where we’re converting a variety of feedstocks like sugarcane waste into biofuels,” the Minister said.
Presently, the fund has two pathways, both of which require an applicant to provide co-funding that matches or exceeds the grant amount.
The first pathway aims to build on the state’s existing pipeline of new bio-futures projects by offering grants for the purchase and installation of plant and equipment.
The second pathway provides up to 50 per cent co-funding for the purchase and installation of plant and equipment for an existing or greenfield facility to produce bioenergy, biofuels and high-value bioproducts.
The fund aligns with the Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan, which is positioning the state as an Asia-Pacific hub for the industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector.
EOIs can be made through the W2B Fund webpage until 5 pm, Monday 8 April 2019. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to make a detailed application.
Following this, it is anticipated the initial projects selected will be funded within the first half of 2019.