Victoria targets renewable hydrogen and storage in new innovation grants

The Victorian Labor government has put out the call to developers of “cutting edge” technologies in renewable hydrogen, energy storage and renewable biogas, after the launch of the second round of funding through its $108 million Energy Innovation Initiative.

The policy initiative, which in its first round focused on supporting the development of offshore wind energy generation technology, this time turns its attention to technology that will support the shift to renewables, including battery storage and green hydrogen production.

The grants range from $2 million to $20 million to help projects to reach commercialisation through feasibility and pre-investment studies, front-end-engineering-design, large scale pilots and demonstrations.

In a statement on Wednesday, state energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the initiative aimed to support high-impact energy technology developments that were aligned with Victoria’s New Energy Technologies Sector Strategy, as well as the state’s net-zero carbon goal for 2050.

“Victoria is already a powerhouse of renewable energy. This funding will support our emerging renewable technology sector, creating jobs and opportunities for Victorians,” D’Ambrosio said.

“We’ve created more jobs in renewables than any other state. To continue this jobs boom, we need to continue investing in innovation and pushing the frontiers of this technology.”

“We’d like to hear from international leaders, global businesses and Victorian players to hear what they can do to bring innovation and new technologies to our shores,” the minister said.