In Australia, Leaf Resources is evaluating Queensland for constructing a biorefinery.
“Queensland has a lot of advantages in terms of establishing a bio refinery,” Leaf managing director Ken Richards tells The Courier Mail. “It is in a tropical zone so things grow pretty well.” Richards adds that the company is ready for commercialization and is in discussions with Queensland’s government about possible incentives. “It would have to be done off our balance sheet as we are talking about a project costing $150 million,” he adds.
The Brisbane-based company spent about $7 million to develop its biomass-to-chemicals process. “Any petroleum-based chemical can be replaced by biomass but no one has been able to do it economically,” Richards says. “We believe we have the best process.”
The company is also mulling a facility in Malaysia and recently signed an enzymes development agreement with Novozymes.