NSW trial explores if trees can help power the country instead of fossil fuels

Farmers already feed the country, now they could help to power it too, with trials underway to investigate the potential for growing trees to produce electricity through bioenergy. Key points: Trials investigate the concept of growing trees to produce electricity through bioenergy Bioenergy is a renewable alternative to fossil fuels Native trees grown in marginal country are ready to harvest in two years NSW DPI research scientist Fabiano Ximenes said native tree crops were planted in nine sites around the state to determine the biomass of various species under different climatic conditions. David Bush, the director of the CSIRO Australian Tree Seed Centre, said the trees could be burned in thermal power stations to produce electricity, used in conjunction with or as a replacement for coal. Mr Bush said unlike fossil fuels, the carbon dioxide released when the trees were burned could be offset as part of the carbon cycle. " "The meat processors could actually harvest those trees quite regularly to produce feed stock for their boilers, producing renewable energy for their heat needs," he said.