The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $1.98 million in grants to support 10 Australian businesses in their efforts to reduce emissions through renewable energy solutions.
The funding, provided on behalf of the Australian government, will enable these companies to conduct feasibility studies on incorporating innovative renewable technologies into their operations.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller emphasised the importance of these studies in helping energy-intensive industries develop actionable plans to integrate renewables.
“Meeting Australia’s emissions reduction targets will require businesses in Australia’s most energy intensive industries making actionable plans to incorporate renewables in their operations,” Miller stated.
The grants, part of ARENA’s industrial decarbonisation initiatives, have been awarded to a diverse range of companies across various sectors.
Recipients include:
- G&K O’Connor: $399,503 for a meat processing facility decarbonisation study in Pakenham, Victoria
- Paper Australia: $110,000 to investigate geothermal heating for a barramundi farm in Maryvale, Victoria
- Unilever: $149,850 for a decarbonisation roadmap across three factories in NSW and Victoria
- George Weston Food: $242,924 to modernize refrigeration at a smallgoods facility in Castlemaine, Victoria
- Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water: $117,515 for water pipeline system optimization in Western Victoria
- Brown Family Wine Group: $116,397 for low emissions technologies at a winery in Milawa, Victoria
- Beston Global Food Company: $205,000 for energy efficiency projects at a cheese plant in Jervois, South Australia
- Real Pet Food: $250,400 to consider heat energy recovery systems at pet food manufacturing sites in Queensland and NSW
- Quantem: $244,677 for energy efficiency improvements and electrification options
- Bindaree Beef: $147,800 to investigate biomass processing for energy from waste at a meat processing facility in Inverell, NSW
These grants are part of ARENA‘s broader industrial decarbonisation programs, which include the $400 million Industrial Transformation Stream (ITS) and the $40 million National Industrial Transformation (NIT) Program.
These initiatives support feasibility studies, engineering studies, and demonstration projects for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification across various industries.
ARENA aims to share the knowledge generated from these studies with the wider industry, providing real and replicable examples for other businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
Applications for ITS and NIT funding remain open, offering continued support for Australian industries in their transition to more sustainable practices.
