The BAA was formed to be the peak body representing biodiesel in Australia. It has been successful in promoting biodiesel and lobbying for its acceptance by Local, State and Federal Government and has become the prime voice representing commercial biodiesel development in Australia.
In six short years in Australia, the biodiesel industry in Australia has progressed from a home based industry, with many enthusiasts making biodiesel for their own use, to genuine contributor to the Australian fuel industry with June 2006 production capacity of over 100 million litres per annum. Their are a number of production facilities, either under construction, or proposed, that could see this capacity extended to over 800 million litres per annum by 2008. It remains to be seen what effect the Fuel Tax Bill 2006 has on the development of the proposed increases in production capacity.
BAA’s purpose and philosophy is encapsulated in its mission statement:
Providing Leadership as the peak industry group facilitating the building of a sustainable, credible and economically viable Australian biodiesel industry, in harmony with quality, community and environmental standards.
For an insight into the founders of the association, read "The Dream".
(see site for link)
There is a large potential for the application of biodiesel to provide sustainable fuel supplies for distributed generation and regional energy security. Sustainably produced local oil crops converted for use as a renewable fuel used in existing engines while using cyclical carbon from plants are benefits that are very attractive. However to compete economically there must be similar subsidies for biodiesel that were offered to other industries in their development phase, such as LPG and other conventional fossil fuels.
