Australia Backs Renewable Energy Projects

Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, and Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, have announced the successful round two recipients while also calling for round three applications for the program, which supports projects at the cutting edge of renewable energy development.

The $100 million REDI program has so far delivered grants in excess of $33 million to 16 renewable energy Australian companies nationwide.

"The diversity in this round's recipients bodes well for development of future energy technologies from alternate transport fuels through to wind farms, solar energy, geothermal and biomass technologies -- all of which will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," Macfarlane said.

"REDI's focus on R&D and commercialization of renewable technologies fills a niche in Australian Government support for the sector and complements other Australian Government renewable energy and low emissions programs," said Senator Campbell.

The six projects awarded funding are:

-- Australia Renewable Fuels, South Australia, $348,100 for micro-algal feedstock biodiesel production;

-- CSR Sugar Pty Ltd, Queensland, $5 million to develop its Ethanol Energy Production using its SugarBooster technology;

-- Geothermal Resources Limited, South Australia, $2.4 million for its project involving the heat-generating capacity of buried hot radiogenic granite;

-- New Energy Partners Pty Ltd, NSW, $258,000 for its parabolic solar collector for medium temperature application;

-- Powercorp Pty Ltd, Northern Territory, $2.34 million to develop an electricity grid stabilizing system for large wind farm interconnection; and

-- SQC Pty Ltd, Queensland, $200,000 for production of hydrocarbons from algae.