It has not been grown here for almost a century, but as the need for sustainable aviation fuels intensifies, sugar beet could be making an Australian comeback.

Biofuel company Sky Renewables has partnered with eight central Queensland farmers to trial growing the crop as a feedstock for renewable energy.

Traditionally grown in Europe, Russia and the United States to produce sugar, beets were first grown in Victoria's Gippsland region in the late 1800s, but the industry collapsed after World War II .

Already working with the industry that came to replace it — sugar cane — the company's chief executive Simon Yim hopes beets will prove superior when it comes to fuel.

As the Queensland government holds its own hearings into sugar's bioenergy opportunity, the industry is hopeful the COP30

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