ARENA launches US$28 million programme to decarbonise Australian industrial sector

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
ARENA has invested in a range of schemes that are exploring how Australia can decarbonise its society while driving down the cost of energy. Image: ARENA

Australia’s Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a AUS$43 million (US$27.7 million) Industrial Energy Transformation Studies Program aimed at identifying opportunities to reduce energy costs and emissions in the country’s industrial sector.

Announced as part of Australia’s 2020-21 Federal Budget, the programme is the latest in a series of grant funding ARENA has provided Australian organisations as it looks to drive down the cost of renewable generation and slash its emissions.  

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Funding will be provided in two streams to support feasibility studies and engineering studies in order to establish the business case for replicable projects that demonstrate energy efficiency and renewable energy technology solutions for industry, ARENA said in a statement.

It will be made available to companies and organisations in the agriculture, mining, manufacturing, gas supply, water supply, waste services and data centre sectors, all of which are high emission and hard to abate sectors.

“Renewable energy adoption by industry can also be supported with energy storage including batteries, thermal and material storage and technologies that enable greater flexibility and responsiveness of energy demand, such as digitalisation and enhanced controls,” ARENA said.

“Whether it’s by integrating renewable energy into existing processes or increasing energy efficiency to minimise energy demand and cost, the Industrial Energy Transformation Studies Program will identify credible and innovative solutions to the challenge of reducing emissions in industry,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller.

And this is not the only scheme ARENA is supporting. In June, it invested US$31 million in the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) to support its solar research through to 2030, while in January it announced it was providing AU$40 million in funding to support research and development (R&D) that can help Australia reach its ‘ultra-low cost solar’ goal.

On top of this, ARENA has previously funded a number of projects aimed at reducing emissions in the industrial sector, including A2EP’s Renewable Energy for Process Heat Opportunity study, Shell Energy’s Advancing Renewables in the Manufacturing Sector studies  program and ClimateWorks’ Energy Transition Initiative program to accelerate decarbonisation across the whole industrial supply chain.

Meanwhile, Australia’s renewable sector has been boosted recently by the election of its new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in May who has pledged to make the country a renewables “superpower” and has locked in Australia’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050.

Applicants to the Industrial Energy Transformation Studies Program can seek AUS$100,000 to AUS$500,000 (US$65,000-322,000) for feasibility studies or AUS$250,000 to AUS$5 million (US$161,000-3.2 million) for engineering studies.

Read Next

August 8, 2025
This week several solar developers have raised funds for projects around the world, including BRUC in Europe, Greenalia in the US, Qair in Mauritius and CREC in Philippines.
August 8, 2025
German renewable energy developer ib vogt has officially broken ground on a 99MWp solar PV power plant in South Cotabato, the Philippines.
August 7, 2025
US-based floating solar (FPV) developer D3Energy is constructing a 6MW floating solar system in Monroeville – a village in Huron County, Ohio. 
August 7, 2025
Infinity Power has signed two concession agreements with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire for PV projects with a total capacity of 80MWac.
Premium
August 7, 2025
July 2025, the peak of the Australian winter season, saw generation from utility-scale and rooftop solar increase by 12.78% year-on-year in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
August 7, 2025
Despite severe flooding in the Waiotahe Valley in New Zealand, Lodestone Energy has confirmed that its 42MW Te Herenga o Te Rā solar PV power plant has continued operations.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines