The future of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production addresses the challenge of replacing fossil carbon without compromising food security or biodiversity. Sugarcane has been identified as a primary candidate for this purpose.
The ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon is collaborating with global technology leaders to develop economically viable, renewable aviation fuel at the required industry scale. Plants are considered the best current source for renewable carbon, with sugarcane offering the highest potential for success due to its existing production tonnage.
Other options like algae are considered expensive without high-value co-products. Canola, while being used for fuel in some regions, faces issues with food security and scalability, requiring an exceptionally large land area for sufficient production.
Land use is a critical factor. Sugarcane is productive and occupies a relatively small land proportion, making its footprint and productivity standout advantages.
Research at the Hub concentrates on enhancing plant biomass for fuel conversion. Genetic modifications are being explored in rice, sorghum, and sugarcane to increase the convertible biomass proportion without reducing yield. Rice serves as a model system for genetic manipulation. Promising changes identified in rice will be tested in sorghum, a close relative to sugarcane, before transfer to sugarcane, which has more complex genetics. This phased approach aims to optimize time and resources.
Australia, particularly Queensland, is positioned to lead this transformation given its established sugarcane industry, research capabilities, and global partnerships. The high domestic demand for SAF in Australia further supports this initiative. The Hub's objective is to reduce production costs to make investment compelling.
The current challenge involves breeding crops with a high proportion of convertible biomass without sacrificing yield. Sugarcane is considered productive, sustainable, and scalable, positioning Australia to potentially lead in SAF development.
Professor Henry's perspective on this topic was published in Agriculture Communications.