Seven types of plants will be grown in a four acre plot near Cloncurry’s sewerage treatment works which have been selected for their use in biodiesel. 

The Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone (MITEZ) and the Cloncurry Shire Council have planned the trial. The Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell says the plot is still be fenced and irrigated. 

The mayor has advocated a bio-fuels industry in his shire since last September. 

The trial crops will be grown sometime in October. 

Cr Campbell said these crops will be leucaena, sunflowers, safflower, sesame, pigeon pea, sweet sorghum, canola, soy beans and gua beans. 

“The different varieties have different oil contents or characteristics that affect how good they are to produce bio-diesel, which ones are successful and which ones thrive under our conditions,” he said. 

“(We see) what crops do well, what crops don’t do so well and which ones really thrive and then to see under the conditions which ones most likely to take to commercial production.

“The other beauty of the project is it’s using waste affluent to try and get a commercial use out of it.” 

Cr Campbell said the length of the trial depended on the time it took for the plants to germinate and mature.

“But sometime early next year we will have the results,” he said. 

Council and MITEZ will sample the yield from each type of plant and then determine from there what would generate the greatest volume of bio-fuel. 

If the trial is successful the council will continue to work with MITEZ and the Department of State Development, and seek funding to make it commercial. 

“All our diesel, whether commercial use or private vehicles or the millions of litres used on mine sites have to be carted at least 800 kms from Townsville.”

“We can supply some of that need,” Cr Campbell said. 

“It is transferable across the region.  Once proven it is successful...there’s no reason feeding stock cannot come from other areas around us as well.”