The Bioenergy Industry Development Program (BIDP) supported regional ‘hot spots’ to advance economic bioenergy potential.

Program overview

The BIDP was established in 2016 to assist local government, businesses, and industry groups identify and develop new bioenergy projects.

The 2016/2021 program had three components:

  • Bioenergy planner – establishing a regional point of contact for mentoring and information sharing
  • Bioenergy connect – administering grants of up to $2,000 per applicant to undertake a (desktop) pre-feasibility assessment of early-stage bioenergy projects
  • Bioenergy feasibility fund – matched funding of up to $25,000 per applicant to further develop and investigate the feasibility of bioenergy projects

The BIDP was administered for the South Australian Government by Regional Development Australia – Limestone Coast, in collaboration with other partner Government agencies.

Key outcomes

The BIDP was successful in delivering the following outcomes:

  • $175,000 in grant funding invested in the assessment of 29 potential early-stage bioenergy projects across the state
  • The establishment of two bioenergy projects, totalling $6 million to $8 million, and a 30 to 40-fold return on grant funding investment
  • Projects found bioenergy could successfully reduce or mitigate carbon emissions by grid electricity and/or fossil fuel gas substitution, landfill gas emission avoidance and/or carbon sequestration
  • Increased awareness of bioenergy across regional business and communities
  • Investment paybacks for bioenergy projects suggest bioenergy is on the cusp of becoming commercially viable with future reductions expected in project costs as technologies becomes more widespread
  • Bioenergy can help South Australia achieve its Waste Strategy 2021/2025 Circular Economy goals and Climate Change Action Plan 2021/2025 objectives.

A program summary of the BIDP, including the learnings and recommendations is available for download.

Note: The information used in the summary report, including the survey results of participants, has been de-identified.