$7 million to boost early-stage emissions reduction projects

Four projects on new technologies to support emissions reductions have been awarded $7 million in grants from the NSW Government’s Clean Technology Research and Development Grants Program.

The Minns Labor Government has made action on climate change a whole of government priority and has legislated emissions reduction targets to reach net zero by 2050. While climate change is an environmental challenge, it poses an economic opportunity. Businesses and investors will help NSW build a new base of economic prosperity that maximises opportunities from new technologies and industries.

Each project receiving a Clean Technology Research and Development Grant is in the early stage of shifting emissions-reducing technologies towards real-world use.

The NSW Environmental Trust program invests in the research and development of technologies to support emissions reduction in high-emitting or hard-to-abate industries.

The projects are across a range of technologies and areas, including:

• energy systems,
• land and primary industries, and
• power fuels.

The successful projects promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing to foster ecosystems which support innovation, development, testing and commercialisation of clean technologies in NSW.

The Clean Tech Research and Development Grants received nearly 80 expressions of interest, with 24 invited to submit a full application. Four projects were awarded a total of $7,009,118.

Grant amounts and grantees:

• $2,999,963 – Rux Energy Pty Ltd to bring together key NSW hydrogen experts and companies to develop a hybrid composite to develop more efficient hydrogen storage for aerospace.
• $2,128,196 – Allegro Energy Pty Ltd to develop a low-cost, locally made energy storage solution for long-duration use, addressing demand for energy storage from renewable sources like solar and wind.
• $1,588,959 – Plasma Leap Technologies Pty Ltd to develop a carbon-free method of combining plasma and electrolysis for producing ammonia, a key ingredient in agricultural fertiliser.

Quote attributable to Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe:

“Congratulations to these companies which have thought outside the box and backed themselves to develop solutions to reduce industry emissions.

“Government, industry and the public all need to work together to address the most pressing issue of our time – climate change, which is driven by excessive emissions.

“Research and Development work is the key creative area we need to leverage to find new ways forward.”

Images available here.