Hi Smart Community friends,
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and record this podcast and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.
In this episode of The Smart Community Podcast, I speak with Renee Wootton Tomlin, aerospace engineer, commercial pilot and Founder and CEO of New Era Energy, about the future of sustainable aviation and Australia’s opportunity to build a domestic renewable fuels industry.
Renee shares her journey from aerospace engineering and flying into the sustainable aviation fuel space, including her experience working on Western Sydney International Airport and supporting the development of ethanol-to-jet technology with LanzaJet.
We discuss what sustainable aviation fuel actually is, the different materials that can be used to produce it and why policy, finance and demand certainty may be bigger barriers than the technology itself.
We also explore how First Nations knowledge, ownership and economic participation can be placed at the centre of the energy transition, rather than communities simply being consulted after decisions have already been made.
The conversation also covers energy sovereignty, opportunities for regional communities and farmers, the skills Australia will need and why this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new industry here at home.
As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.
What we cover in this episode:
- Renee’s journey through aerospace engineering, aviation and innovation
- What sustainable aviation fuel is and why it matters
- The materials and technologies used to produce renewable fuels
- Why policy and finance are major barriers to progress
- Building Australia’s energy sovereignty and domestic fuel capability
- Bringing First Nations knowledge into renewable fuel development
- Creating meaningful ownership and economic participation for Traditional Owners
- Opportunities for farmers, regional communities and young people
- The skills and partnerships needed to build a new industry
- Why Australia needs progress rather than a perfect solution
- How consumers and industry professionals can become involved
Quote options:
“I’d love to see Australia having energy sovereignty, the ability to produce our own fuels domestically, and also we have such incredible and vast landscapes for biomass to grow here.”
“The energy transition has always consulted Indigenous peoples, but certainly haven’t unlocked the opportunity for ownership and economic participation in a far more meaningful way.”
“The technology is actually not the biggest barrier [for sustainable aviation fuels]. It’s now policy and finance.”
“For the first time in generations, we’ve now seen industries that typically wouldn’t collaborate having to come together at an international level to be able to figure out how to build these supply chains at pace.”
“If we keep seeking perfection, we’re not going to get the progress at all that we want.”
Links:
- New Era Energy
- Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association
- Bioenergy Australia
- First Nations Clean Energy Network
- CSIRO Young Indigenous Women’s STEM Academy
Connect:
Connect with Renee via LinkedIn and learn more about her work with New Era Energy.
Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community
Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn or YouTube.
The Smart Community Podcast is produced by Perk Digital.
