Australian researchers discover two invasive weeds have the potential to be burned as biofuel
Researchers at the University of Queensland found Brazilian nightshade and climbing asparagus – both aggressive vine species – can be converted into biomass pellets.
The June research, highlighted this week by UQ's Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, assessed more than 20 weed species for their potential use as fuel.
The process involves compressing plant material into small pellets similar in appearance to pet food pellets, which can be used as fuel in residential or industrial heating systems, or electricity generation. The densified organic matter can be used as solid fuel to generate energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels such as coal.
'We try to get the right mix of these ingredients so the pellets burn well and safely,' said lead researcher Dr Bruno Rafael de Almeida Moreira. 'We're trying to discover something useful for our community and environment.'
Different plant materials have to be mixed and tailored in specific ways, Moreira explained. Too much moisture or ash-producing minerals in pellets can damage heaters or stoves, create dust when handled and release toxic smoke or gases.
Pelletising also helps reduce production costs and emissions, because pellets are easier to move and store more energy per volume than using the raw material, Moreira said.
He noted the rapid growth of the global solid biofuels market, especially in Canada, the US, and Europe. Traditionally, solid biofuels come from forest wood sources. In Australia, however, wood pellets made from native forests are not classified as renewable. Recycled timber and wood waste can be used, but only if approved by the federal Clean Energy Regulator, prompting a search for alternatives.
Moreira said Australia's diverse biomass sources present a unique opportunity for it to lead the way in sustainable bioenergy production.
Study co-author and AgriSustain Lab leader, associate prof Sudhir Yadav, said the new research could support efforts to reduce agriculture's carbon footprint, while boosting the bioenergy sector.
'Agencies like the Australian Renewable Energy Agency have predicted bioenergy will supply 20% of national energy demand by 2050,' Yadav said. 'It's an optimistic but achievable target and a lot of research is required to bridge that gap.'
Moreira noted previous estimates putting biomass at just 0.3% of Australia's renewable energy mix. He agreed the leap to 20% was ambitious – but possible, with 'sustained research and innovation'.
The researchers said the study is ongoing, with more weed species to be tested. But supply remains a challenge, even for the most prolific weeds.
'Environmental weeds have a limit,' Yadav said. 'We're also thinking about other potential sources of biomass, like green waste collected by councils and households and even some broad acre crops like sorghum.'
Microbiologist Dr Ian Paulsen, a distinguished professor at Macquarie University and director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in synthetic biology, who was not involved with the study, said it builds existing research on converting plant matter into fuel.
E10 fuel for cars contains ethanol made from crops such as corn in the US, or wheat, barley or sugarcane in Australia, Paulsen said. 'In Brazil, previously, they've run planes of flown on aviation fuel made from getting yeast to turn sugarcane into long chain hydrocarbons.'
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But Paulsen said large-scale biofuel production was currently not economically viable without significant government subsidies, or a sharp rise in petrochemical prices.
'It's technologically feasible; the real problem is that it's hard to be cost-competitive compared to the fossil fuel industry,' he said, noting the latter benefits from over a century of global subsidies and highly efficient infrastructure.
Paulsen said proposing invasive weeds as fuel posed logistical concerns, particularly in terms of the difficulty of harvesting large volumes of scattered biomass without damaging ecosystems.
Moreira said expanding the diversity of bioenergy sources was critical to achieving net zero targets.
He emphasised the importance of increasing funding and interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing renewable energy solutions, calling it 'an opportunity for us to come together and brainstorm ideas, exchange knowledge across the country, around the world'.
'We have to be sure about the diversification of this space … we cannot rely only on wind or solar panels,' he said. 'It's about ensuring clean energy for all people in the future.'
Flinders University's Vincent Bulone is a professor in glycoscience, the study of glycans, or sugars, and part of the search for alternative sources of energy and development of new materials. He said the study highlighted an 'emerging and promising area of research' for sustainability and land management in Australia.
He echoed, however, that implementing it would require strategic investment in the appropriate technology, infrastructure and policy.
Bulone said Australia's regional diversity demanded a 'distributed bioenergy model' tailored to local biomass availability – in this case, invasive weeds in Queensland – industry needs and community energy goals, especially in remote and Indigenous communities.
'Pelletising invasive weeds could become one of the components of Australia's renewable energy strategy, particularly in rural and remote areas where weed prevalence and energy needs are high.'
It is not a stand-alone solution, but represents a 'valuable component of a broader, diversified bioenergy strategy,' he said.
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It may take a village to raise a child, but as Beekman herself hints, a village can be constituted in different ways. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why by Madeleine Beekman is published by Simon & Schuster (£25). To support the Guardian buy a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
