The government of the Australian state of Queensland on Tuesday announced a AUD-26-million (USD 19.7m/EUR 17.5m) expansion at an ethanol plant in Dalby in the farming region of the Darling Downs.

The biorefinery, owned by Australian company United Petroleum Pty Ltd, is Australia's first grain-to-ethanol facility. It currently produces 76 million litres (19.6 million gallons) of ethanol a year from locally-grown sorghum and the expansion will increase its capacity to 100 million litres.

Queensland's Minister for State Development Anthony Lynham said the state government is providing an incentive package to accelerate the expansion, which will create about 50 local jobs and expand the market for rural producers. "The biorefinery is already the largest customer for red sorghum growers on the Downs, and this expansion also has the potential to increase their market," Lynham said.

The move is in support of Queensland's vision to develop a AUD-1-billion sustainable and export-oriented industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector by 2025.

 

Article by Renewables Now: Queensland ethanol plant to expand