top of page

Communities in Transition 

for Queensland Communities

Nuts, cattle grazing & dragging sample nets - CSIRO - Science Image - 3137, 10444  & 1948

Old sheep dip - Quest Media

​

Funding Opportunities -
Clean Energy Finance Corporation

 

 

The CEFC is responsible for investing $10 billion in clean energy projects on behalf of the Australian Government. 

They make investments which are "solely or mainly Australian-based".

 
Quick Links 
Clean Energy Innovation Fund
Clean Energy Seed Fund 
Sustainable Cities Investment Program 
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets 
Local Government Finance Program
Community Housing Program  
CEFC Building Funding   
CEFC Solar Funding   
CEFC Wind Funding   
CEFC Bioenergy Funding   
CEFC Storage Funding   
CEFC Agribusiness Funding   

​

​

​

Clean Energy Innovation Fund
​

  1. Specialist financier to invest $200 million in early-stage clean energy companies. 

  2. The Fund targets technologies and businesses that have passed beyond the research and development stage and which can benefit from early stage seed or growth capital to help them progress to the next stage of their development. 

​

Examples​:

  • Zen Ecosystems innovative technology  - designed for smaller footprint businesses as a low cost, easy-to-use cloud platform for managing energy-intensive assets across single and multiple sites, simply by checking in on a desktop or phone. Will benefit retailers, hotels and motels, schools, universities, car dealerships and fast food outlets. 

  • Queensland-based Redback Technologies -  has developed a Smart Hybrid System that optimises solar generation, storage and management of energy for households and businesses.

  • Victoria-based manufacturer SEA Electric -  is converting medium-duty trucks and commercial vans into electric vehicles. The technology allows adaptation to most van and light/medium duty truck platforms. It is suited to vehicles, which travel relatively fixed and known route distances, that return to base for overnight charging. 

  • Victoria-based carbon fibre wheel manufacturer -  carbon fibre wheels offer an alternative to aluminium wheels, and are up to 13 times stronger and typically 40 per cent lighter. When fully integrated in car design, the wheel technology can deliver a six per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

​

Find out more about the The Clean Energy Innovation Fund. 

​

Clean Energy Seed Fund

​

The Clean Energy Seed Fund targets scalable, high growth potential start-ups, encouraging innovation and creating opportunities in the development of clean technology. It is is managed by Artesian Venture Partners, a specialised investment manager with a diversified portfolio approach to early venture capital investments. 

​

The Seed Fund is looking across a range of potential investments, including sectors 'internet of things', energy storage, biofuels, alternative energy generation (solar, wave, geothermal, wind), metering and control, 'green' building and biomaterials, transport technologies, water and waste.

​

It will invest in startups at seed stage via dedicated clean energy accelerators such as EnergyLab which is supported by Climate-KIC Australia. 

​

Find out more about the The Clean Energy Seed Fund. 

​

​

Sustainable Cities Investment Program

 

Aims to invest $1 billion over 10 years in clean energy and energy efficient technology solutions in cities and the built environment.

​

  • Building owners  - for energy efficient construction, energy efficient equipment, and better lighting, air conditioning and building control systems.

​

  • Transport - energy efficient vehicles, electric vehicles and hybrids.

Examples: 

​

 

  • Infrastructure - projects that reduce carbon emissions and achieve industry-leading levels of energy efficiency.

​

Examples: 

  • Freight and logistics company Qube Holdings Limited is developing the nationally-significant Moorebank Logistics Park in south-western Sydney to take emissions-intensive trucks off Australian roads by increasing the use of rail networks to distribute containerised freight to and from Port Botany.

  • The Dexus Healthcare Wholesale Property Fund owns hospitals and healthcare assets. They are targeting energy efficiency initiatives as well as low emissions transport options, such as electric vehicles, ride sharing and integration with local transport infrastructure. 

​

Learn more about the IFM Australian Infrastructure Fund

​

  • Councils and universities  -  incorporation of clean energy technologies across their large asset bases.

​

  • Community housing  - energy efficiency construction materials, double glazing, insulation and ventilation in new and existing homes. 

​

​

​

​

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets 

 

Platform will contribute to sustainable on-farm asset management practices, with MIRA investing in farms across multiple climatic zones, production regions and end markets. A technology-driven whole-of-farm approach, incorporating the full range of precision agriculture and other sustainable farm management practices, will deliver increased productivity with improved energy efficiency.

​

A key feature is the establishment of a specialist Energy, Emissions and Efficiency Advisory Committee – 3EAC –  drawing on the skills of the CSIRO, MIRA and CEFC. 

 

It will support new on-farm standards in energy efficiency and emissions reduction and clean energy models targeted for broader use in the farming sector.

​

​Examples:

  • The Grange, Dongara, Western Australia is now deploying energy efficiency measures and precision agriculture practices across the 16,500-hectare property.

​

Find out more about the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Fund 

​

​

​

​

Local Government Finance Program  

 

Provides flexible and competitive fixed-rate, long-term finance for councils, targeting major investment projects with the potential to make a significant difference to a council's energy consumption.

 

​Eligible projects: 

  • Energy from waste: to create an energy source from council waste, reducing both landfill and energy costs

  • Solar PV: to provide a renewable energy source using the council's own assets

  • Street lighting upgrades: to convert to more efficient LED lighting, which can cut energy costs as well as operation and maintenance costs

  • Building upgrades: to improve energy efficiency through a broad range of options, reducing energy costs

  • Leisure and aquatic centres: to systematically address these high energy users, with a combined approach to introduce better heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions as well as renewable energy sources

  • Electric and low emissions vehicles: to lower council fuel bills at the same time as lowering emissions; can include related infrastructure such as charging stations.

​

Find out more about the  Local Government Finance Program

​

​

Community Housing Program  

 

The CEFC Community Housing Program for new developments will accept applications from community housing providers or associations,faith providers, property developers (if partnering with a community housing provider), state governments, statutory corporations and other organisations or consortiums seeking to develop, build and manage energy efficient community housing in Australia. The minimum loan size is $15 million. A single loan could cover a number of separate housing developments.

 

​Examples: 

Community housing providers St George Community Housing and the St Vincent de Paul Society's Amélie Housing are working with the CEFC to deliver some 1,000 homes that are targeting an average of 7-stars under the Nationwide House Energy Rating System (NatHERS).

​

Find out more about the  Community Housing Program.

​

​

CEFC Building Funding 

 

Buildings contributing more than 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. $600 million in CEFC finance has already been committed to finance clean energy and energy efficiency projects across the property sector.  

 

  • ​Funding options include: 

  • Finance whole building or portfolio, as well as specific investments in energy efficiency and clean energy.

  • Finance available across the property sector including commercial (office, retail, industrial, hospitality, health care); and residential (student accommodation, retirement living and aged care, residential broadacre and apartments).

  • Direct debt or equity finance available for projects over $20 million including senior debt, mezzanine debt or equity.

  • Smaller scale (less than $20 million) energy efficient or clean energy improvements can be financed through our co-financing programs with ANZ, Westpac, NAB and Commonwealth Bank. See the Green loans section. 

​

Examples:

  • A 428-bed student accommodation project in Waymouth Street, Adelaide, is using CEFC finance to help set a new benchmark in energy efficient design.

  • Malop Street Geelong, the first multi-storey commercial office building outside Melbourne to achieve a 5.5 star NABERS energy rating.

​

Find out more about the CEFC Building Funding 

​

CEFC Solar Funding  

 

Funds to accelerate the development of several large-scale solar projects. 

​

Examples from Queensland 

​

Find out more about the CEFC Solar Funding 

​

CEFC Wind Funding 

 

Funds to accelerate the development of  wind projects which are capitalising on the natural strengths of regional Australia, as well as delivering new income streams to local communities.

​

Examples

​

Find out more about the CEFC Wind Funding

​

CEFC Bioenergy Funding  

 

Focused on clean energy technologies that can reduce carbon emissions by diverting waste from landfill, as ensuring that waste processing and resource recovery operations are as energy efficient as possible.

​

Examples: 

  • ​Landfill Gas Industries to expand bioenergy at landfill sites in Central and Southern Queensland

  • Energy from waste project at Kwinana, WA

  • Visy Industries for projects that will increase Visy’s manufacturing capacity to recycle waste materials by 10% and improve the overall energy efficiency and renewable energy use 

  • South Eastern Organics Processing Facility, Vic to convert kerbside green and food waste materials into high-grade compost, substantially reducing landfill and emissions

  • Cleanaway for a range of projects to accelerate measures to cut landfill

  • ResourceCo to transform selected non-recyclable waste streams into Processed Engineered Fuel. 

​

Find out more about the CEFC Bioenergy Funding

​

CEFC Stoarge Funding 

 

Funds large-scale storage that can help balance electricity supply with demand by allowing energy produced from intermittent sources such as solar and wind to be stored and dispatched as needed.

​

Example from Queensland: 

  • Phase One of the 50MW large-scale solar farm at the Kidston Renewable Energy Hub, 270km north west of Townsville. The solar farm is expected to lead to the Phase Two development of a pumped hydro storage project on the  same site.

​

Find out more about the CEFC Storage Funding

​

CEFC Agribusiness Funding  

 

Funds technologies that can reduce on‑farm energy costs, and in some cases, lead to increased yields.

​

Types of projects

Solar powered irrigation pumps

Solar hot water and heat pumps

Rooftop solar systems

Biomass energy-from-waste

ariable speed drives, high efficiency motors and pumps

Farm and process machinery upgrades

Efficient refrigeration

Efficient lighting, heating, insulation, ventilation and air conditioning

arm equipment and vehicle upgrades

Co-generation and tri-generation systems for processors

​

It is delivered through the 

​

  • Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) Fund

  • Solar Fund

  • Low rate finance loans 

​

  • Examples: 

    • Apple and chestnut growers, Nightingale Bros Pty Ltd, is upgrading its refrigeration to cut its energy costs by just under 40 per cent with CommBank and CEFC finance

​

Find out more about the CEFC Agribusiness funding 

bottom of page