Epping Clean Tech business awarded grant to reduce emissions

The Minns Labor Government has granted nearly $300,000 to Number 8 Bio Pty Ltd to fund an early-stage project which aims to reduce methane emissions in beef and dairy farming.

The grant of $292,000 is one of for grants totalling around $7 million from the NSW Environmental Trust's Clean Technology Research and Development Grant Program.

Each grantee's project is in the early stages of shifting emissions-reducing technologies towards real-world use.

The scalable cattle methane mitigation technology aims to show how Number 8 Bio's top additives can reduce methane emissions in beef and dairy farming.

The grantee, Number 8 Bio Pty Ltd, will collaborate with the Queensland Animal Sciences Precinct to conduct testing.

The Clean Tech grants program invests in the research and development of technologies to support emissions reduction in high-emitting or hard-to-abate industries.

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

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

Each successful project promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing to foster ecosystems which support innovation, development, testing and commercialisation of clean technologies in New South Wales.

The Clean Tech R&D grants received nearly 80 expressions of interest, with 24 invited to submit a full application. Four projects received a grant.

Other grant amounts and grantees awarded in this round include:

• $2,999,963 – Rux Energy Pty Ltd proposes to bring together a group of 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 propose to develop a low-cost, locally made energy storage solution for long-duration use, addressing demand for energy storage from renewable sources such as 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.

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.

Quote attributable to Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe:

"I'm delighted to see Epping-based company Number 8 Bio receive this grant for research and development in the clean technology arena, to develop new solutions that reduce emissions.

"Cutting down emissions in historically high-emitting industries such as beef and dairy farming is a key part of the world's most urgent puzzle.

"This scalable cattle methane mitigation technology project will test how effectively food additives can reduce methane emissions in beef and dairy farming."

Photos available: Dropbox