Delorean Corporation – an Australian bioenergy and renewable gas producer – has received an A$6.1m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to upgrade its SA1 facility at Edinburgh Parks, south Australia.
The funding will support infrastructure upgrades to produce biomethane, renewable gas certificates of origin and liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2). SA1 will process organic waste diverted from landfills.
Technology will be installed to produce mains-grade biomethane suitable for adding to the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group’s (AGIG) gas network, supporting long-term gas offtakes with industrial users via the Adelaide network, and production of biogenic food-grade LCO2.
The grant is conditional on Delorean, which is in discussions with major industrial gas users, finalising “key commercial agreements including a biomethane offtake with a suitable industrial facility,” according to a statement.
The enhancements aim to position Edinburgh Parks as a key piece of Australia’s renewables landscape. Delorean lists another bioenergy project in the southern state, at Salisbury, which would process up to 70,000 tonnes of industrial and commercial waste annually.
Joe OIiver, Managing Director of Delorean, said the grant enables it to create long term sustainable revenues that will underwrite the project’s viability.
Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA, said biomethane could play an important role in industrial decarbonisation but its full potential was so far untapped.
“By using food and organic waste and transforming it into renewable gas, Delorean’s project shows an innovative approach to reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while supporting a circular economy,” he said.
“Increasingly Australian industrial companies are looking to integrate biomethane into industrial operations as a practical and near-term way to cut emissions while maintaining reliability.”
Delorean has completed three bioenergy projects: at Jandakot, Blue Lake Milling and Ecogas. Australia’s waste-to-energy potential is large, with more than 40 million tonnes of organic waste and residue available.
