The Victoria Waste to Energy Fund: Bioenergy is a $10 million grant program to encourage investment in the state’s bioenergy sector. This will support projects that create bioenergy from organic waste. The output of which may be electricity, heat, gas or liquid fuels. The fund is expected to deliver an additional 5,000 kW to Victoria’s renewable energy production. Funding is also available to develop end uses for the residual products created by the treatment process. Funding will support projects at different stages of their development through 2 streams.

• Stream 1: Project development
• Stream 2: Project infrastructure

Deadlines and Timings

Applications for both Stream 1 and Stream 2 are open and will close on Friday, 26 August 2022, 11:59 pm.

Notification outcomes may be expected by January or February 2023.

Funding agreements are expected to be established by April 2023 and projects are expected to commence by May 2023.

Projects must be completed by 31 March 2025.

Overview and Grant Amount

The program will support organisations to dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way while reducing their operational costs, including energy bills. Projects will process waste that would have otherwise gone to landfill, or been disposed of in a way that does not leverage its value as an energy source, such as crop residue burning. A wide range of sectors will be supported by the fund, including:

• agricultural and livestock
• forestry
• food production
• food retail
• wastewater management

Residential kerbside waste is not included. Eligible organisations can apply to Sustainability Victoria for grants to scope out and implement projects that use organic waste to produce bioenergy.

The funding will support projects at different stages of their development through 2 streams:

Stream 1 will support projects to scope, test and gain approvals to achieve the pre-financial close phases of a bioenergy project. Applicants can apply for grants of between $20,000 and $250,000.

Stream 2 will support projects with a proven business case to purchase, construct, and commission infrastructure to convert organic matter into bioenergy. Applicants can apply for grants of between $50,000 and $1 million.

Eligibility and Criteria

General eligibility are as follows:

• have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
• have been operating for a minimum of 12 months (Stream 1) or 2 years (Stream 2) by the application closing date
• businesses, industry groups or associations; local government; research institutes; charities
• community groups; social enterprises; and other not-for-profit organisations
• be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project (will meet or exceed the minimum co-contribution requirement)

Eligible Activities

Stream 1 will support projects that:

• focus on feasibility studies, technical studies or the development of business cases relating to a proposed facility that will generate energy from organic waste
• require support in pre-financial close stages
• use agricultural cropping residues, such as cereal straw and chaff
• use waste and manure from poultry, dairy, piggeries, and other animal operations
• use general food waste from commercial and industrial hospitality and retail operations
• use food manufacturing and processing wastes (including dairy, fruit, nuts, wine, and meat)
• use forestry wood residues from forest harvesting and wood processing as a feedstock
• are small scale bioenergy projects using fruit and vegetable waste from horticulture residues
• generate energy from paper and pulp manufacturing and related processing waste (that can’t be recycled into paper products)
• process biosolids, sewage and sludge waste

Stream 2 will support projects for a proposed facility that:

• will process a minimum of 51% organic feedstock from Victoria
• require capital to generate bioenergy from organic material in the form of heat, electricity, renewable gas, or liquid fuels
• have a site selected in Victoria
• have the potential to be replicated at other sites in Victoria (same or similar industry)
• use agricultural cropping residues, such as cereal straw and chaff
• use waste and manure from poultry, dairy, piggeries, and other animal operations
• use general food waste from commercial and industrial hospitality and retail operations
• use food manufacturing and processing wastes (including dairy, fruit, nuts, wine, and meat)
• use forestry wood residues from forest harvesting and wood processing as a feedstock
• are small scale bioenergy projects using fruit and vegetable waste from horticulture residues
• generate energy from paper and pulp manufacturing and related processing waste (that can’t be recycled into paper products)
• process biosolids, sewage and sludge waste

Applicants are encouraged to read through all the criteria set by the guidelines of this grant, each for Stream 1 and Stream 2. Applications must be lodged online through SmartyGrants Stream 1 and SmartyGrants Stream 2.

Expert Assistance

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