To employ 30-35 staff: “Once the plant is operational it will employ 30 to 35 staff. Some jobs will be highly skilled and others should be filled by local people,” Campbell said.
The lure of tapping water produced: The booming coal seam gas industry in the region had also enabled an ethanol plant to be established because of the water produced when the gas was extracted. “Currently, the water is just evaporating and we will have access to that water, which has been a major factor in making the project possible,” Campbell said.
Access to gas and market for byproducts: The plant would also have access to low-pressure gas due to its geographical location to the gas pipeline. Western Downs Ethanol was also currently talking with local feedlots to make use of the byproduct cattle feed of an ethanol production process.
Plant to be ready by 2010: Construction of the plant was expected to begin in the next 18 months, with completion by 2010. At present, NSW’s fuel would have to contain two percent ethanol from September and Queensland’s State Government said it would like to see 5 per cent by 2010.
Queensland Country Life, 24/5/2007, p. 39