The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme
The Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme is a $54 million competitive grants programme designed
to foster the development of the renewable energy industry in Australia and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Administered by the Australian Greenhouse Office division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage,
it provides funds for projects that lead to the commercialisation of innovative renewable energy equipment,
technologies, systems and processes.
The programme has awarded funding of between $135 000 and $1 million for 49 projects, including solar
photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, biomass, hydro, wave, and hot dry rock developments. Three projects were
successfully completed in 2005-06, bringing the number of completed projects under the programme to 30.
It is estimated that 500 direct jobs have or will be created as a result of the programme. Private sector investment
of up to $238 million and exports of $120 million could also be achieved.
Additional benefits include greenhouse gas abatement, rural and regional development, waste minimisation,
salinity mitigation, job and export creation, and diversification of agricultural incomes.
More information about the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme can be found at:
www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/index.html
Greenhouse Gas Abatement Programme
The Greenhouse Gas Abatement Programme (GGAP) targets projects that achieve large-scale, cost-effective and
sustained abatement of greenhouse gas emissions from any sector of the economy, particularly in the target
period 2008-2012.
GGAP is administered by the Department of the Environment and Heritage and funding is provided to private
industry, industry associations and local, state and territory governments to support projects that will result in
substantial emission reductions or substantial sink enhancement.
The programme leverages significant private sector investment in large-scale energy efficient and greenhouse
abatement technologies and practices. Under GGAP, the latest industrial plant, equipment and techniques are
being applied to the mining, minerals and energy sectors to deliver greenhouse gas abatement.
There have been three rounds of GGAP. One of the criteria for funding is the extent to which projects accelerate
efforts to research, develop and deploy new technologies or innovative processes. Examples of GGAP projects
include co-generation (the use of waste heat or steam from power production or industrial processes for
power generation), energy efficiency, travel demand management, alternative fuels, coal mine gas technologies
and fuel conversion.
The Macquarie Generation project was successfully completed in 2005-06, bringing the number of completed
projects under the programme to four. The project has increased the generation efficiency at the Liddell Power
Station located near Muswellbrook in New South Wales by replacing low pressure turbines with modern turbines.
The new units were designed to achieve a minimum efficiency improvement of 3% compared with the design
of the original 1960s turbines. This efficiency gain is expected to deliver greenhouse gas emission reductions
of up to 1.66 million tonnes between 2008 and 2012. The project will lower water demands, delivering broader
environmental benefits as well as greenhouse gas reduction.
Funding of $66.2 million is allocated to the GGAP over the next four years, during which projects currently
underway will reach completion. According to the 2005 greenhouse gas projections, the programme is expected
to deliver emissions savings of 6.1 million tonnes in 2010.
More information about the GGAP can be found at: www.greenhouse.gov.au/ggap/index.html
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