New Energy Technologies

Victoria's Future Industries

The Victorian Government has identified six priority sectors that have potential for extraordinary economic growth and the capacity to create high-skill, high wage jobs: Victoria's Future Industries.

These include medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, new energy technologies, food and fibre, transport technologies, defence technologies, construction technologies, international education, professional services.

A number of grant programs support job-creating projects, helping to secure Victoria's future as a competitive, innovative and outward looking economy:

• New Energy Jobs Fund
• Future Industries Manufacturing Program
• Sector Growth Program
• Victorian Defence Industry Supply Chain Program

New Energy Jobs Fund

The $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund is designed to support Victorian-based projects that create long-term sustainable jobs, increase the uptake of renewable energy generation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive innovation in new energy technologies.

The projects funded embrace a variety of innovative technologies, feasibility studies and business cases to expand and extend renewable developments to create long-term market confidence.

The fund is a key component of the $200 million Future Industries Fund to support high growth, high value industries, such as the new energy technologies sector that are critical to securing Victoria's future as a competitive, innovative and outward looking economy.

Round One closed in March 2016 with 24 projects awarded grant funding. Round Two closed in March 2017 with 19 projects awarded.

Applications for Round Three of the program closed on 1 March 2018 with seven projects awarded grand funding. Projects under the Renewable Communities Program (RCP) are yet to be confirmed.

Round Three Projects

Round Three secured seven projects, with the RCP project numbers yet to be confirmed.

Regional Renewable Roadmaps - $1 million to develop a suite of Regional Renewable Roadmaps to maximise each region's opportunities to participate in and benefit from Victoria's energy transition. These roadmaps will be developed by communities for Grampians, Loddon Mallee, Barwon South West and East Gippsland regions.

The Renewable Communities Program (RCP) - is a $1 million pool of funding aimed at community energy projects that will; increase the update of renewable energy generation; consider energy justice and social benefit; promote community participation; and, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This targeted funding recognises the capacity and capability constraints often faced by community renewable energy groups.

Delta Energy Systems (Australia) has been awarded $210,000 for its $969,067 project titled 'Delta Solar Vehicle Charging, seeding a new industry in Victoria'. Delta have been developing PV electric vehicle charging prototypes since 2015 with CSIRO. Focusing on fleet, domestic and light commercial markets. This project is the final stage of the development of this technology; a successful project will bring two new charging platforms to market.

ZECO Australian Energy Solutions has been awarded $150,000 for its $374,900 project 'Solar Owl'. The project aim is to replace diesel light towers with clean energy generation. The Solar Owl light towers use solar panels as the source of renewable energy and stores the energy in pollution and maintenance free lithium-ion batteries. These units will be noise free, more economical and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rural City of Wangaratta has been awarded $100,000 for their $110,000 project to develop a business case for a micro-grid model for the town of Milawa. It will comprise of solar energy, energy storage and hydrogen fuel cell technology to service all Milawa energy customers.

Round Two Projects

There were 19 successful applicants under the second round of the New Energy Jobs Fund:
New Energy Jobs Fund Round 2 Projects.

Round One Projects

There were 24 successful applicants under the first round of the New Energy Jobs Fund: 
New Energy Jobs Fund Round 1 Projects.