Australian Government gives boost to renewable energy 18 November 2009 The Australian Government has awarded $235 million for four commercial-scale renewable energy projects. This funding, which comes from the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program, will provide around $810 million in renewable energy investment in Australia, when combined with input from the successful applicants. The investment will deliver almost 80 MW of new renewable generation from geothermal sources, wave technology, and an integrated mini-grid project which includes wind, solar, biodiesel and storage technologies. The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, said that the program will support the commercialisation of renewable energy and help accelerate the deployment of new renewable energy technologies for power generation in Australia. The lead companies which have been awarded these grants are MNGI Pty Ltd (Petratherm) and Geodynamics Pty Ltd – both for geothermal projects; Victorian Wave Partners Pty Ltd, for an ocean energy project; and Hydro-Electric Corporation (Hydro Tasmania) for an integrated mini-grid project. More information |