More than $11 million will be offered to seven regional projects in the second round of the Western Australian Government’s Clean Energy Future Fund (CEFF).
The Clean Energy Future Fund projects include solar, wind, biogas and bio-diesel generation, battery and pumped hydroelectric storage, geothermal energy, and the replacement of gas with electricity to decarbonise the alumina refining process.
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The seven projects are expected to:
- invest $197 million, much of it in Western Australia;
- create up to 255 jobs during construction and provide 63 jobs operational jobs;
- generate 81,000MWh each year, enough to power 16,000 average WA homes; and
- avoid around 132,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, or 2.4 million tonnes over their design lives.
If the pilot projects are successful and technologies prove commercially viable, the seven projects could reduce emissions by 32 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in WA.
Project funding is conditional on successful completion of a formal funding agreement.
The $19 million Clean Energy Future Fund is administered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, with support from Energy Policy WA.
Nomadic Energy’s project at Northern Star’s Carosue Dam gold mine is a success from the first round of Clean Energy Future Fund funding. It completed installation in August 2021 and is generating energy from its re-deployable solar panels to support the mine.
Environment Minister Reece Whitby said, “The high-level of interest and the quality of proposals submitted to the second round of the Clean Energy Future Fund demonstrates a strong and innovative clean energy industry developing in Western Australia.
“The State Government is proud to support these projects in their efforts to decarbonise existing industry and develop new low carbon industries.
“These seven projects will not only reduce carbon emissions and create jobs across the state, but they will test critical low carbon technologies and support Western Australia to achieve our target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
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Energy Minister Bill Johnston said, “The Clean Energy Future Fund supports leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators in Western Australia’s clean energy sector.
“We have the resources, the highly skilled workforces and the drive in this State to create a dynamic clean energy economy.
“These impressive Round 2 clean energy projects will provide new local renewable energy options, improve energy security and reliability, and strengthen our economy.”
