New round of renewable energy grants announced 

The Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program (RECP), which provides government grants for Australian companies, organizations, and institutions, has announced that applications for the sixth round of funding will open on March 6 and close on April 24. 

As changed in the last round, the grants will be split. Commercialization grants will be awarded to projects that not only aid the applicants but demonstrate a potential benefit to Australia's internationally competitive renewable energy industry as well. Industry development grants will be aimed at projects that help to promote renewable energy as a whole without necessarily showing a profit. 

Grant awards will be up to 50 percent of the project cost to an upper limit of about $1 million AUD ($551,000 USD), with a higher proportion of funding possibly available for industry development projects. The five-year, $55.6 million AUD ($30.6 million USD) program is administered by the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO). Results of the fifth round will be announced in May.

AGO phone: +61/2/6274-1880 
www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/recp/support.html

William P. Hirshman
© PHOTON International, April  2001