Carbon Innovation Grants Program (Australia)

Deadline: 16-Dec-22

The Government of Western Australia has announced the applications for Carbon Innovation Grants Program to build the capacity of heavy industry sectors to transition to net zero emissions by 2050, in line with government targets.

The program will fund feasibility studies and trials that help to avoid, reduce or offset carbon emissions from heavy industry processes, with a focus on supporting innovative technologies for carbon abatement and sequestration.

The Carbon Innovation Grants Program is part of the Government of Western Australia’s $1.25 billion Climate Action Fund announced in 2021.

Objectives

• Reduce carbon emissions from heavy industry processes in WA. 
• Support the development of innovative technologies for carbon abatement. and sequestration. 
• Maximise co-benefits for the environment and the WA economy. 
• Increase the supply of carbon credits, to enable heavy industry to offset residual emissions (optional).

Note that projects do not need to involve the creation of carbon credit units to be eligible for funding. Applications for funding will be assessed against the program eligibility criteria and merit criteria outlined in this document.

Funding Streams

The program includes two grant funding streams to reflect the different stages of technology development that may require government support. These streams are:

• Feasibility Studies
  • Supporting technologies and methods to progress from concept to real-world trials.
  • Feasibility studies have a minimum funding limit of $50,000 and a maximum funding limit of $500,000, which must be no more than 50 per cent of eligible project costs. 
• Pilot Projects and Capital Works
  • Supporting real-world testing of innovative technologies and methods from pilot stage through to full-scale deployment.
  • Pilot projects and capital works have a minimum funding limit of $100,000 and a maximum funding limit of $1.5 million, which must be no more than 25 per cent of eligible project costs.

What types of projects can be funded? 

Examples of the types of activities that could be funded include but are not limited to: 

• Feasibility Studies
  • Concept design, field and or lab testing and economic analysis of industrial process technologies that reduce emissions
  • Carbon capture and or use and or storage 
  • Industrial process feedstock swapping  
  • Analysis of deploying new, or existing, Australian Carbon Credit Unit methods with current low market utilisation 
  • Applying innovative approaches to existing Australian Carbon Credit Unit methods to increase credit volume or reduce costs. 
• Pilot Projects and Capital Works
  • Trials of new technology and or novel modifications to industrial processes 
  • Field trails of industrial process feedstock swapping
  • Field testing of carbon capture, and or use, and or storage methods 
  • Deploying existing and or new Australian Carbon Credit Unit methods with current low utilisation at pilot trial or full scale 
  • Applying innovation to existing Australian Carbon Credit Unit methods at pilot trial or full scale to increase credit volume and/or reduce operating costs. 

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants that: 

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and are registered for GST
• meet one or more eligibility criteria 
• have members of the management team who are all fit and proper persons
• if intending to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units, demonstrate the ability to meet the eligibility criteria relevant to the proposed carbon crediting method.  
• In addition, an applicant’s project must:
  • be located in Western Australia or involve feasibility studies specific to sites or locations in Western Australia 
  • seek funding within the published funding range and other nominated financial commitment thresholds   
  • demonstrate clear alignment to the CIGP objectives, including that the project must be new, involve carbon abatement or sequestration, progress technologies or methods along the pathway to commercial viability, include at least one industrial business partner, and be permissible by law 
  • be able to commence and be completed within the minimum and maximum timeframes

For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.

For more information, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/service/community-services/grants-and-subsidies/carbon-innovation-grants-program