Australia grants up to A$4 million for bio-crude from biosolids pilot

In Australia, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced funding for a pioneering project aiming to turn biosolids from sewage into crude oil. On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA is providing up to A$4 million in funding to Southern Oil Refining for its pilot project at its refinery near Gladstone, Queensland.

The $11.8 million project involves building a demonstration scale hydrothermal liquefaction reactor to produce the renewable crude oil from biosolids. The hydrothermal liquefaction will involve the treatment of the biosolids using a thermochemical conversion process to produce a biocrude. The renewable crude oil will then be upgraded to renewable diesel and potentially renewable jet fuel using Southern Oil Refining’s existing facilities that re-refine waste oils such as transmission and engine oils.