The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has launched its $43 million Industrial Energy Transformation Studies (IETS) Program, which was announced as part of the 2020-21 Federal Budget and aims to identify opportunities to reduce energy costs and emissions in the industrial sector. Of particular note is that this will be the first time an ARENA funding round will include applications for studies into energy efficiency measures.
The program is targeted at large energy users and funding will be made available to companies and organisations in the agriculture, mining, manufacturing, gas supply, water supply, waste services and data centre sectors. Applications for grants of $100,000 to $500,000 for feasibility studies or $250,000 to $5 million for engineering studies will be accepted.
The program website details the targets for funding as follows:
The Program aims to support feasibility and engineering studies and associated metering that can enable an investment decision in energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for industrial processes, which will:
deliver a transformational improvement in industrial energy efficiency as compared to business as usual energy use; and/or
deliver a transformational increase in renewable energy use as compared to business as usual energy use; and
deliver transformational reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below business as usual emissions, and
demonstrate high replicability potential across similar industrial settings.
For full details on applicant and project eligibility and key dates visit the IETS program website to read the program guidelines: https://arena.gov.au/funding/industrial-energy-transformation-studies-program