Renewable energy industry to share its knowledge

In a bid to overcome barriers to, and increase the use of, renewable energy, Resources and Energy Minister Gary Gray has launched a $60 million initiative to share information, data and lessons learnt by the renewable energy industry.

Gray said the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is driving a range of knowledge projects under the SHARE (Supporting High-value Australian Renewable Energy) initiative, including an analysis of the barriers to grid connection and the development of an inaugural Australian Liquid Fuel Technology Assessment.

ARENA will also seek industry applications from 1 July through the expanded Emerging Renewables Program for projects to close knowledge gaps in three priority areas for 2013/14:

• Understanding renewable energy potential
• Grid integration
• International engagement

“I encourage the industry to start preparing proposals that aim to overcome key challenges to building renewable energy plants and bring the Australian community with them towards our clean energy future,” said Gray.

He also said ARENA will be collecting, analysing and sharing data from the research projects and renewable energy plants it supports to help overcome barriers to developing new renewable energy technologies and plants.

“Data such as the amount of electricity being delivered from a plant, and information such as skills availability and gaps, all helps to increase the amount of renewable energy being used in Australia,” he said.

For more information, visit www.arena.gov.au/programs/initiatives/shareknowledge/index.html.