The bioproducts race Queensland is quickly becoming the sweet spot for innovative manufacturers producing bioproducts or bio-based consumables. With approximately 30 million tonnes of sugarcane harvested per year, established logistics and infrastructure, access to mills and ports, and an industry keen to take advantage of diversification opportunities, bioproducts is the hot topic around grower sheds. BY ROBYN DEVINE AND NEROLI ROOCKE
Australian Canegrower has caught up with a few of the growers and companies looking to use sugarcane in new ways. Kecap Manis - Mossman CocoNutZ, a food technology company, has established a demonstration facility adjacent to the Mossman Mill, using sugarcane juice to produce Kecap Manis. This is a condiment sauce favoured in Indonesia. After successful trials of small production samples, CocoNutZ aims to start commercial samples in June and move to full production by September. The Daintree Bio Precinct is a collaboration with project partners CocoNutZ, Bio-Ferm and WhatIF foods, working with Helmont Energy and Far Northern Milling to potentially establish a circular economy.
“We've got to spend time and money to look into it because we've got to look to the future.”
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“The project will continue to see cane from growers delivered to Mossman Mill and processed into raw sugar and feedstock, while Bio-Ferm will process the molasses into biotechnological plant protection products and CocoNutZ will use the cane juice to produce valueadded condiments,” Managing Director of CocoNutZ Lucas van der Walt said. “Other regenerative crops, such as bambara groundnut and lupin, will be delivered to WhatIF Foods to produce BamNut Milk. “By-products such as bagasse from the Mossman Mill and organic effluent from the fermentation processes of Bio-Ferm and CocoNutz will go to Helmont’s Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant to generate green electricity and biogas, which in turn will power the various facilities during the off-season.”
