Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund 

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What is the Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund?

The Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund is an initiative which aims to support projects that create bioenergy from organic waste. The output of which may be electricity, heat, gas or liquid fuels. 

Background

The Waste to Energy Fund: Bioenergy 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.

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.

The Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund is aimed at a range of sectors, including but not limited to:

• Agricultural and livestock
• Forestry
• Food production
• Food retail including the hotel industry
• Wastewater management

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Funding

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Funding will support projects at different stages of their development through 2 streams:

• Stream 1: Project development ($20,000 and $250,000) – supports Applicants to scope, test, and gain approvals to achieve pre-construction and pre-financial close phases of a bioenergy project.
• Stream 2: Project infrastructure ($50,000 and $1 million) – supports Applicants with a proven business case in the purchase, construction, and commissioning of infrastructure to convert organic matter to bioenergy.

Eligible Projects

Funding for Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund – 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.

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund projects must:

• align with the objectives of the Fund
• be implemented in and service Victoria
• meet regulatory or planning requirements
• not have commenced or will not commence prior to entering into a funding agreement with SV
• be completed by 31 March 2025.

Costs that will be funded include:

• technology selection costs
• feedstock identification and end market research and development
• conducting laboratory testing of incoming feedstock
• engineering, procurement, and construction tendering related costs
• consultancy or contract work required for the project
• conducting testing required for approvals
• planning and regulatory approval costs.

Funding for Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund – 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.

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund projects must:

• have a proven business case and co-financing support to proceed with infrastructure purchase
• have the chosen technology selected
• align with the objectives of the Fund and Recycling Victoria: a new economy
• be implemented in and service Victoria
• meet regulatory or planning requirements and have these pathways established and secured
• not have commenced or will not commence prior to entering into a funding agreement with SV
• be completed by 31 March 2025.

Costs that will be funded include:

• capital purchases
  • supporting machinery for new project development
  • upgrades or additions to existing bioenergy infrastructure or equipment
• construction and commissioning costs

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Eligible Applicants

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Funding is available to Applicants that propose to generate bioenergy using organic materials and can demonstrate that this solution is the best value option in the Waste Hierarchy.

Eligible organisations include:

• businesses, industry groups or associations
• local government
• research institutes
• Charities
• Community Groups
• Social Enterprises
• other Not-For-Profit organisations.

Consultants may apply as a Lead Applicant in a Collaborative Partnership only and must be organisations not individuals.

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund applicants must:

• be legally constituted organisations
• have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
• have been operating for a minimum of 12 months by the application closing date (to be validated by the date that the organisation’s ABN is active from)
• be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project (will meet or exceed the minimum co-contribution requirement)
• agree to comply with the Terms of Participation in Grant Programs
• agree to comply with the funding terms and conditions

Timing

Waste to Energy Bioenergy Fund applications close 26 August 2022.

More Information

• Source
• Stream 1 Guidelines
• Stream 2 Guidelines

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