Govt grants: driving down industrial decarbonisation 

On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is working towards helping Australian businesses cut emissions with a tranche of studies to investigate how they can incorporate renewable energy solutions.

ARENA is providing a total of $1.98 million in grants directly to 10 businesses that are looking to contribute to Australia’s emissions reduction targets by deploying renewable technologies in novel ways.

The grants, awarded as part of ARENA’s work to drive industrial decarbonisation, will support businesses to undertake feasibility studies. ARENA will work with industry to share valuable knowledge generated from these studies.

ARENA has announced the following grants:

• $399,503 for G&K O’Connor to achieve comprehensive decarbonisation for a meat processing facility in Pakenham, Vic. 
• $110,000 for Paper Australia to investigate using a deep-bore geothermal heating system at a barramundi farm in Maryvale, Vic.
• $149,850 for Unilever to develop a decarbonisation roadmap for three factories across NSW and Victoria.
• $242,924 for George Weston Food to modernise refrigeration infrastructure at a smallgoods facility in Castlemaine, Vic.
• $117,515 for Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water to optimise system operations across water pipelines in Western Victoria.
• $116,397 for Brown Family Wine Group to investigate the requirements for low emissions and energy efficiency technologies at a winery in Milawa, Vic.
• $205,000 for Beston Global Food Company for site-wide energy efficiency and electrification projects at its cheese plant in Jervois, SA.  
• $250,400 for Real Pet Food to consider a heat energy recovery system at pet food manufacturing sites in Qld and NSW.
• $244,677 for Quantem to improve energy efficiency and examine electrification options across its operations.
• $147,800 for Bindaree Beef to investigate biomass processing options to harness energy from waste and a meat processing facility in Inverell, NSW.
   

ARENA’s industrial decarbonisation programs include the $400 million Industrial Transformation Stream (ITS) and the $40 million National Industrial Transformation (NIT) Program.

The ITS and NIT Programs support feasibility and engineering studies and demonstration and deployment for renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification projects for Australian industries.

Eligible sectors include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, gas supply, water supply, waste services and data centres.

Applications for ITS and NIT funding remain open. For more information on the program, visit the industrial decarbonisation funding page.

Image credit: iStock.com/Berk Ucak