THE NORTHERN Territory government is backing a pyrolysis plant that will provide green fuel for the marine industry and others.
A government media release from 7 March said Northern Territory start-up Environmental Keystones had been awarded the first investment by the Territory Infrastructure Loans program to construct, fit out and operate the cutting-edge plant in Wishart.
The $8 million project has been made possible through a $5.59 million concessional loan from the Territory Infrastructure Loans program, funded by the Australian Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and the CLP Government.
The facility will be the first of its kind in the Territory, and the only one in Australia using CSIRO technology.
Pyrolysis is the process of thermally degrading organic materials at elevated temperatures, and Environmental Keystones, in partnership with Pyrochar Pty Ltd, has commercialised CSIRO-developed technology to do so.
It will be capable of processing up to 50,000 tonnes each year of waste such as grass and shrub clippings, branches, woodchips, and palm fronds.
The plant will then convert the green waste into commodities including bio-oil which can be used as fuels, in refineries and bunker oils for ships.
It can also be used as bio-char, used in agriculture as fertiliser, as well as in water and air filtration systems and Syngas which is used in industrial processes, for synthetic natural gas and sustainable aviation gas production.
Fertiliser and other high value carbon biproduct goods are on Environmental Keystones’ road map over the next three years.
