Project description and overview:

Mercurius’ long‐term stated ambition is to build and operate up to five commercial biorefinery projects in regional Queensland, to convert biomass into biocrude along with one central processing facility to convert the biocrude into renewable fuels while concurrently producing high value biochemicals and bioplastics. The REACH™ technology will produce “drop‐in” fuels faster, cheaper and with a higher quality than other biorefining processes. Drop‐in fuels are a synthetic and fully interchangeable substitute for conventional petroleum‐derived hydrocarbons (gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel), meaning it does not require adaptation of the engine, fuel system or the fuel distribution network.

In this project, Mercurius proposes to locate the pilot plant at Southern Oil Refining’s (SOR) Northern Oil Refinery in Gladstone and conduct the trials in partnership with QUT and SOR.

The pilot plant will optimise their biorefining processes initially with bagasse (sugar by‐product) and then aims to test additional non‐food feedstocks, and further optimise the processes. Additionally, with potential strategic partner Kolon, Mercurius will be helping to develop and promote a new sustainable biochemical and bioplastics sector.

Mercurius is amongst a limited number of entities proposing to use second generation feedstocks such as municipal waste, waste food and cotton gin trash to create biofuels, biochemicals and bioplastics. Mercurius also believes that the second‐generation feedstock with lessened input costs will result in a product that will be price competitive with fossil based fuels.