Using elite breeds of Pongamia Pinnata, developed under Professor Peter Gresshoff with the University of Queensland's ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, Pacific Renewable Energy’s focus is on refining and developing Pongamia plantations for either broad acre or small acreages. The ultimate goal is to significantly impact, or entirely replace, the use of liquid fossil fuels in Australia.
The Important Questions
Why Pongamia?
• Native to Australia
• Climatically suited
• Legume (Creates own nitrogen)
• Drought resistant (large tap root)
• Produces Food & Fuel at the same time
• By-product meal can be treated to produce high protein livestock feed
• Sequesters Carbon (tree growth & fuel substitution)
• up to 100 year productive life
• Can be mechanically harvested.
• Direct use of oil in modified engines
• Highly salt tolerant
• Can be converted into high quality BioDiesel or
second generation Biofuels
• Cost Effective Broad Acre Solution
• 200x200km area would replace all of Australia’s liquid fuel needs
• 5 years until first yield, 8 years until 100% yield.
• suitable for interrow cropping during first 3 years of growth.
Who Can Grow Pongamia?
Anyone with 1 Hectare or more of land (no upper limit) with good rainfall or access to irrigation, wanting to break away from fossil fuel
dependency
and exorbitant fuel costs. Or simply anyone wanting to make money off unused land, while helping avert a possible crisis in the coming years.
See overview for a breakdown of how this would work.
What Does Pacific Renewable Energy Offer?
• Elite plant material (developed with UQ)
• Management and/or consultancy for planning and
development of all facets of the Pongamia business through to end use products.
• Specialised equipment for entire process
• Off take agreements for seed
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