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• There is close contact between nurseries/planters and farmers, however the increasing numbers
of mallee being bulldozed out in WA indicates disengagement by farmers.
• Harvesting contractors don’t exist yet however harvesting technologies are rapidly developing
and will require an appropriate business model.
• Road transport operators are not engaged as yet, however failure to vertically integrate
harvesters and road transport will impact profit margins.
• The concept of preliminary biomass processing, or upgrading, has little currency as yet. Most
people see a large biomass conversion industry (eg power generator) being the sole processor.
Such large industries have an expectation that supply will be just in time, externally managed
with minimal stockpile requirements for the processor. There is a perception that preliminary
processors would impose a risk for large scale processors, because if farmers extend their
influence into the preliminary processing they will be in a position to sell partially upgraded
material to other markets.
• Large energy processors are currently the most prominent biomass conversion industries. They
are large organisations and are generally reluctant to get too involved with farmers and supply
chains.
• It is debatable whether the scale at which groups 1-5 are able to operate now or in the near
future is compatible with the minimum scale at which large biomass processing corporations
can function. Consideration has to be given to build capacity in groups 1-5 by developing new
small industries in 6, and so developing the capacity to underpin large industries like electricity
generators in the longer term.
• Consumers range between people connected to the electricity grid to a variety of potential
customers who are probably largely unaware of the existence of mallees. The most significant
role here is possibly through political routes and recent successes in raising the awareness of
bioenergy options.
• There is a range of small R&D organisations, public and private, investigating new harvesting
technologies, farming systems and near-commercial biomass conversion processes, such as
various forms of pyrolysis to produce syngas or bio-oil. These groups are likely to become
dominant in uses and markets for biomass within 10-15 years, though some talk of being ready
for commercialisation now.
• Private sector industry groups are showing an interest in developing and operating components
of the supply chain and recognise opportunity for profitable ventures as the market develops.
There is at this point very little collective vision, trust and planning in the mallee biomass industry
and the linkages described above are generally extended only as far as each group chooses to serve
their own immediate needs. This is inevitable as there is no overarching responsible entity, from
which might develop a collective vision in the absence of an actual industry.
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