Congratulations to members at Wollongbar Agriculture Institute

Central Council, 18 June 2007

That Central Council congratulates PSA members and staff in the Department of Primary Industry, Wollongbar Agriculture Institute, on winning a World Environment Day award for their excellent research work

Extract from an article by Mike Heesom, a team member. A report will be in the August-September Red Tape

Scientists from NSW DPI, along with their collaborators at BEST Energies Australia, have won an award for their research into tackling greenhouse gas emissions using Char, the charcoal-like by-product of a clean, green, renewable energy technology called slow pyrolysis.

BEST Energies Australia, who developed the technology, enlisted the expertise of PSA member and Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Lukas Van Zwieten and his team to carry out trials using Char.

Dr. Van Zwieten says: "The technology is cutting edge in converting municipal waste, manure, paper mill pulp and other waste materials into clean energy, but it also produces an invaluable by-product, Char. When Char is added to soil it improves productivity and locks up the carbon that would normally be emitted into the atmosphere."