University of Queensland researchers have planted five hectares
of Pongamia trees at Hope Vale, north Queensland in a bid to
create a commercially viable plantation for sustainable regional
development and biofuel production in northern Australia. In
conjunction with Cape York's traditional land owners and
partners, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume
Research (CILR) is aiming to plant a further 3000 hectares
within the first three years of the partnership, which will
ultimately yield an estimated 10 to 15 million litres of
biofuel. The seeds from the oil-rich Pongamia pinnata (also
called Millettia) tree provide a sustainable solution to the
production of biofuel, which in turn, will help alleviate the
environmental ramifications caused by automotive, aviation,
mining, energy, and marine industries. Director of the CILR
Professor Peter Gresshoff is UQ's driving force behind the seven
year project and believes the initial stages will demonstrate
the utility of local biofuel production. It's a