Imagine a world where airplanes soar through the skies without leaving a trail of guilt behind. That's the promise of sustainable aviation fuel, but the question of how to achieve it without sacrificing food or the environment is fiercely debated. Sugarcane, a crop often associated with sweet treats, might just be the unexpected hero in this story. But here's where it gets controversial: while some see it as the ultimate solution, others question its scalability and impact on land use. Let's dive into why sugarcane is being hailed as the 'sweet spot' for sustainable carbon and explore the challenges and opportunities it presents.
At the ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon (https://plants-for-carbon.com.au/), we're collaborating with global innovators to tackle one of the most pressing questions of our time: How can we replace fossil fuels without jeopardizing food security or biodiversity? My experience points to sugarcane as the most promising candidate. But this isn’t just about sugar—it’s about reimagining how we power our world.
Our goal is bold: to develop cost-effective, renewable aviation fuel at the scale required by the aviation industry. Plants are currently our best bet for renewable carbon, and sugarcane stands out as the frontrunner. Why? Because it’s already produced in the massive quantities needed, unlike other options like algae, which sound great in theory but fall short in practice due to high costs and limited co-product value.
Take canola, for instance. While it’s being explored internationally, much of Australia’s canola is exported to Europe for fuel rather than food, raising concerns about food security. But the bigger issue is scale. Canola yields only a few tonnes per hectare, meaning we’d need an area larger than Australia to replace jet fuel. Land use is a critical factor, and sugarcane’s efficiency—high productivity on relatively small plots—makes it a clear winner.
At the Hub, we’re focused on enhancing plant biomass to convert it into fuel. We’re experimenting with genetic modifications in rice, sorghum, and sugarcane to increase the convertible biomass without reducing yields. Rice serves as our model system due to its genetic flexibility. Once we identify successful changes in rice, we’ll test them in sorghum, sugarcane’s closest relative, before applying the most promising results to sugarcane, which has more complex genetics. This step-by-step approach saves time and resources while maximizing our chances of success.
Australia, particularly Queensland, is uniquely positioned to lead this revolution. With a robust sugarcane industry, strong research capabilities, and global partnerships, we’re poised to accelerate innovation. Australians are among the world’s most frequent flyers, creating a massive domestic demand for sustainable aviation fuel. If we can produce it commercially—and we’re on track—the world will take notice. The Hub’s mission is to drive down costs, making this solution irresistible to investors.
The challenge is clear: develop crops with high convertible biomass without compromising yield. It’s a complex puzzle, but the rewards are immense. Sugarcane’s productivity, sustainability, and scalability make it the ideal candidate. If we succeed, Australia won’t just be part of the solution—we’ll be leading it.
But here’s the thought-provoking part: Is sugarcane truly the best option, or are we overlooking potential downsides? Could its large-scale cultivation impact ecosystems or compete with food crops? We invite you to join the conversation and share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s debate, discuss, and innovate together.
Professor Henry’s insights were published in Agriculture Communications (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949798125000468). This work is made possible through the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Research Program, with partners including Sugar Research Australia, Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Jet Zero Australia, MGI Australia, PacBio, DKSH/Bio-Strategy, Pioneer Brand Seeds, Novonesis, Praj Industries, Mackay Sugar (Nordzucker), The University of Queensland, Adelaide University, and the University of Copenhagen. The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, a research institute at The University of Queensland, is supported by the Department of Primary Industries.
