WA refinery says it could replace the region's diesel with biofuel
A facility in the Esperance region on Western Australia's south coast says it could replace the area's diesel with biofuel. Once seen in the 1990s as key to a major WA biofuels industry, the region has changed little in 30 years but is said to hold untapped potential.

A facility in the Esperance region on Western Australia's south coast says it could supply much of the area's diesel from biofuel instead, ABC News Australia reported.
In the 1990s, the region was seen as central to a major biofuels industry for Western Australia, but little has changed in three decades. Local figures argue the area holds untapped potential to become a significant fuel supplier.
Because biofuel can be made from local agricultural produce, it could offer benefits for both energy supply security and the rural economy. Whether the project can scale will depend on investment and demand conditions.
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