ARENA funds renewable energy solutions for businesses

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is funding studies to help businesses 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 will help businesses undertake feasibility studies. ARENA will then work with industry to share the knowledge generated from these studies. 

Who’s receiving grants?

Several of the grants will support research into HVAC&R efficiency upgrades, including:

• $242,924 for George Weston Food to modernise refrigeration infrastructure at a smallgoods facility in Castlemaine, Vic. 
• $147,800 for Bindaree Beef to investigate biomass processing options to harness energy from waste and a meat processing facility in Inverell, NSW.
• $110,000 for Paper Australia to investigate using a deep-bore geothermal heating system at a barramundi farm in Maryvale, Vic. 
• $250,400 for Real Pet Food to consider a heat energy recovery system at pet food manufacturing sites in Qld and NSW.

The other grants relate to electrification and other decarbonisation measures:

• $399,503 for G&K O’Connor to achieve comprehensive decarbonisation for a meat processing facility in Pakenham, Vic. 
• $149,850 for Unilever to develop a decarbonisation roadmap for three factories across NSW and Victoria. 
• $117,515 for Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water to optimise system operations across water pipelines in Western Victoria. 
• $116,397 for the 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.     
• $244,677 for Quantem to improve energy efficiency and examine electrification options across its operations.

Businesses leading the way

ARENA CEO Darren Miller says the studies show how willing industries are to reduce their emissions. 

“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 says.

“The grants we’ve announced today are for businesses eager to get on the front foot, looking to deploy renewable energy technologies in new ways. ARENA is backing these feasibility studies so they can provide real and replicable examples to industry.”

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

The ITS and NIT programs support feasibility and engineering studies, as well as demonstrations and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification projects.

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.