Mackay alternative sugarcane processing pilot project: equipment and product test sampling phase

Project locations: Mackay

Project partners: Townsend Industries Pty Ltd

Project summary and impacts

This project tested an innovative alternative sugarcane processing system designed to unlock greater value from the sugarcane crop and support the development of new manufacturing industries in northern Australia. Operating from a pilot facility in Mackay, the project demonstrated the ability to separate sugarcane into multiple component fractions and produce research-scale samples for downstream product development and market testing.

The pilot plant successfully showed that Queensland-grown sugarcane can be separated into distinct renewable feedstocks and processed into a range of high-value products suitable for further manufacturing applications. The project confirmed that approximately 85% of the harvested sugarcane plant has the potential to be transformed into value-added products beyond traditional sugar production, creating opportunities across sectors including sustainable packaging, advanced materials, bio-based manufacturing and renewable products.

By proving the technical feasibility of alternative sugarcane processing and demonstrating market-ready product quality, the project established an important foundation for future investment in value-added processing industries, helping position northern Australia’s sugarcane sector to participate in the emerging bioeconomy.