Australian council to help boost local bioenergy industry

A local Australian council has instigated a Bioenergy Support Programme to help interested individuals and businesses become more sustainable through bioenergy.

Ararat Rural City Council and the Department of Sustainability and Environment has made council bioenergy support officer Daryl Scherger more directly available to discuss ideas and pathways for those wanting to explore bioenergy options.

The council also has a portable gasifier unit and a biochar unit which are both available for demonstration purposes.

One business that has benefited from bioenergy in the local region has been Berrybank Piggery.

‘The operators of this piggery installed a biogas plant to utilise the piggery wastes,’ says Scherger. ‘The $2 million (€1.7 million) investment saves the business $435,000 per year in power, heating and waste disposal costs as well as reducing their water consumption by 100,000 litres annually.’