Qantas, Airbus and industrial heavyweight thyssenkrupp Uhde are among investors now backing Australia’s push to convert plantation forest residues into sustainable aviation and marine fuels, after HAMR Energy closed a $10 million Series A round that co‑founder David Stribley says is critical to establishing a domestic low‑carbon liquid fuels industry.
The investment lands as airlines and heavy emitters race to secure long‑term supplies of low-carbon fuels. According to Nick Chan, Director of Corporate Strategy for OneFortyOne, which manages plantation estates in Australia and New Zealand, the investment is “a defining moment for plantation forestry in Australia,” pointing to the Green Triangle’s scale, year‑round operations and established logistics as key advantages in supplying feedstock for low‑carbon fuels.
For Qantas, which has committed to using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of its decarbonisation strategy, the benefits extend far beyond aviation. “A domestic SAF sector means jobs, regional investment, and economic growth across Australia,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Fiona Messent, who added that HAMR Energy’s vertically integrated model “represents a significant step forward” in establishing a local industry.
Airbus sees strategic value in the technology. Stephen Forshaw, Airbus’s chief representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, said HAMR’s methanol‑to‑jet pathway is “a very interesting technology pathway” that could accelerate the sector’s transition to cleaner fuels.
“Developing low carbon fuel production in more of Australia’s states has the potential to create broad access for offtakers across the country – so important when we consider the reach of our industry.”
Stephen Forshaw, Airbus’s chief representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, on the potential for low-carbon fuels to be produced from forest residues on further estates across the country.
Wood Central understands that HAMR Energy’s flagship development, the Portland Renewable Fuels facility in the Green Triangle, will convert residues into 300,000 tonnes of low‑carbon methanol every year. That methanol can be used directly as a marine fuel or upgraded into sustainable aviation fuel — a market expected to grow rapidly, with global demand reaching 500 million tonnes by 2050. Meanwhile, a second project, Australia’s first major methanol‑to‑jet plant, is expected to produce 135 million litres of SAF each year and support hundreds of regional jobs.
The latest investment comes after HAMR Energy last year revealed that it was working on a research project, the Fibe to Fuels (F2F) initiative in partnership with the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures on the Sunshine Coast. The program is testing the commercial viability of producing methanol from plantation residues using entrained‑flow gasification — a pathway that could unlock new revenue streams for growers while strengthening Australia’s energy security.
HAMR Energy Director Alex Smith said the research is showing how residues from plantations across Tasmania, Western Australia, as well as the Green Triangle, can be converted into low‑carbon fuels, helping forestry businesses “unlock new value from their plantations” while reducing emissions from aviation and shipping.
