25 June 2021
A report commissioned by A2EP for the NSW Department of Primary Industries has found that while diesel use makes up a relatively small proportion of agricutural emissions in the state, improving the energy productivity of diesel-fuelled equipment and switching to lower carbon alternatives will make an important contribution to emission reductions in the sector while also providing benefits to farmers.
While the efficiency of farming machinery has steadily been improving for decades and will continue to do so, targeted growth for the sector (including the Australian Government's Ag2030 vision for $100b of agricultural production by 2030 would likely require 40% more energy in 2030 than the business-as-usual situation today, negating some - if not all - of the benefits from efficiency improvements.
In addition to detailing the current extent of diesel use in NSW agriculture, the report - researched and written by MOV3MENT - it also sets out the most promising pathways for optimising and replacing on-farm diesel use, particularly partial or full electrification of stationary equipment and the powering of mobile machinery with biodiesel or renewable diesel while capacity and confidence is increased for non-combustion future alternatives.
