Queensland as biofuel hub talked about in D.C., Tindal becomes advisor

In Washington, D.C., Queensland’s potential as a biofuel hub in the Asian Pacific region was brought up during government meetings in D.C. last week between Queensland’s Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick and the U.S. Department of the Navy. The Minister met at the Pentagon with biofuel experts and announced the appointment of Queensland’s new US-based Strategic Biofutures Advisor, Chris Tindal, according to Manufacturers’ Monthly.

Tindal is the current assistant director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, and the former director for Operational Energy, US Navy, as well as an adjunct professor at the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities at the Queensland University of Technology.

The Queensland government and the US Department of the Navy signed a Statement of Cooperation in August 2016 to collaborate on developing alternative fuels. “Since the agreement with the US Navy was signed we have seen positive growth for the industry here, Minister Dick told Manufacturers’ Monthly. “The Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant, Australia’s first advanced pilot biofuels refinery, has been constructed, and work is underway for the production of fuels that meet military requirements.”