Clean technology innovation is one of the 3 focus areas within the Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program. With more than $1 billion to support the 3 areas, we are partnering with industry and are committed to transforming NSW into an innovative, thriving low carbon economy. By embracing the benefits of a net zero future, we are doing what’s right for the environment and right for our communities.
The NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer’s Decarbonisation Innovation Study guides our clean technology innovation priority areas and grants.
The Study is a key part in the delivering the Net Zero Plan and provides advice on the challenges and opportunities for meeting our emissions targets and adapting to climate change. The Study also aims to examine the benefits of decarbonisation to generate economic development, prosperity and jobs growth in NSW.
Our priority areas include, but are not limited to:
- Future energy systems (including smart grids)
- New generation renewable and storage (solar PV, battery, wind and offshore wind)
- e-mobility and services
- Aviation, shipping and long-haul road transport
- Non-road vehicle and machinery
- Embodied carbon for building
- Synthetic biology and bio manufacturing
- Power-to-X
- Carbon dioxide removal (including direct air capture)
- Sustainable land management (including enteric emissions and blue carbon)
- Agtech and decarbonisation
Round 1 projects awarded funding in 2023
Grant streams
Supporting the development of commercially viable technologies and services to reduce emissions in high emitting or hard-to-abate industries.
|
Recipient |
Funding awarded |
Location |
Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$3,748,680 |
Mayfield West |
Establish cloud-based digital software infrastructure to help industry and businesses get the most of their on-site renewable energy. |
|
|
$1,100,000 |
Wollongong |
A Clean Energy Living Laboratory to demonstrate how microgrid technologies can ensure reliable and stable energy at large-scale businesses who have a mix of energy sources – such as EV charging, gas, solar panels and storage. |
Accelerating the commercialisation and scaling-up of proven clean technology innovations for trade in Australian and international markets.
|
Recipient |
Funding awarded |
Location |
Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$1,500,000 |
Port Kembla |
A water electrolyser pilot to demonstrate how the ultra-high efficiency technology can lower the cost of green hydrogen as a renewable fuel source. |
|
|
$1, 833,651 |
Sydney |
A new innovative method of storing hydrogen in metal organic frameworks to provide industrial users with a lower cost of supply and storage. |
|
|
$925,000 |
Orange |
To design and build a commercial scale production facility for Loam Bio’s microbial seed coating that gives cropping plants the ability to stabilise and store carbon in soils. |
|
|
$1,000,000 |
Sydney |
Extend Enosi’s Powertracer energy traceability platform capabilities to meet global requirements and achieve initial international commercialisation. |
|
|
$498,068 |
Sydney |
A new software solution to help energy retailers balance supply and demand to provide more reliable energy for consumers at a lower cost. |
Supporting incubators, pre-accelerators, accelerators, and other similar initiatives, to equip clean technology start-ups and researchers with the skills and resources they need to succeed.
|
Recipient |
Funding awarded |
Location |
Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$1,254,000 |
Orange |
A program to commercialise research-based projects and secure funding in clean agriculture and food technologies. |
|
|
$931,400 |
Sydney |
Expand EnergyLab’s existing offerings to provide additional support for very early stages of growth for startups, including going international. |
|
|
$600,000 |
Sydney |
Scale up existing offerings and ecosystem building, specifically to fast-track a 9-month Global Growth Program. |
|
|
$745,330 |
Sydney |
Develop the Innosabi clean technology innovation platform that will host challenges to crowdsource new ways to reduce emissions – such as how to solve the need for sustainable building materials. |
|
|
$1,785,000 |
Muswellbrook |
Establish a Cleantech Pre-Accelerator and Accelerator to generate a pipeline of net zero hardware technologies. |
Round 2 projects awarded funding in 2025
| Recipient | Funding awarded | Location | Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Gravity Operations | $250,000 | North Wollongong | Green Gravity is an Australian company developing gravity-based energy storage solutions. Their project will study the design and construction of the Weighted Object and Gripper sub-systems, converting excess energy into potential energy by lifting weights for later electricity generation. |
| Halocell Energy | $250,000 | Bomen, Wagga Wagga | Halocell Energy Ltd is an Australian company developing sustainable energy solutions. Specialising in advanced battery technology, they focus on efficient, eco-friendly storage for renewables and EVs. Their project studies low-cost, high-efficiency perovskite solar modules and tandem stacks. |
| Azaneo | $225,000 | Sydney | Azaneo Pty Ltd is an Australian company that specialises in innovative solutions for the agriculture sector, particularly in crop management and yield optimisation. Utilising advanced technologies such as data analytics and precision agriculture, Azaneo aims to enhance farming efficiency and sustainability. Their project will design and develop a prototype solid-state generator system tailored to their electrical weeding technology. |
| Syenta | $250,000 | Sydney | Syenta is an Australian tech company specialising in AI-driven analytics for industries like healthcare, finance, and logistics. Their project studies high-speed laser fabrication for components essential to their novel copper metallisation method in solar cell manufacturing. |
| Orica Australia | $233,000 | Kooragang | Orica is a global leader in mining and infrastructure services, specialising in explosives and blasting solutions. With operations in over 100 countries, the company focuses on innovation, sustainability, and safety in its products and services, including advanced blasting systems and digital technologies. Their project investigates the technical and commercial feasibility of a CO2 circular economy project for waste gas produced at Orica’s Kooragang Island facility |
| LLEAF | $250,000 | Sydney | LLEAF Pty Ltd is an Australian company developing sustainable plant-based solutions for the food and beverage industry. Their project studies cost-effective production of larger-form polymers, including dye master batching, polymer extrusion/blowing, and testing. |
| PVT Energy | $250,000 | Sydney | PVT Energy Pty Ltd is an Australian company specialising in advanced solar solutions. It integrates photovoltaic thermal (PVT) technology to optimise electricity and heat generation. Their project studies the feasibility of applying their Coolsheet PVT heat exchange panel. |
| Recipient | Funding awarded | Location | Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroTau | $2,500,000 | Sydney | MicroTau will establish a NSW-based plant to manufacture its innovative drag-reducing shark skin for the aviation industry. This aims to cut emissions in NSW by 181,000 tonnes and globally by 38 megatonnes (Mt) a year. It also provides local jobs, supply chain growth and scalable production opportunities for global deployment. |
| Novalith Technologies | $1,500,000 | Sydney | Novalith will deliver a demonstration plant to produce 1 tonne per annum (tpa) of battery-grade lithium carbonate from 8 tpa of spodumene. This project will validate its carbon-sequestering, sustainable extraction process—proving its efficiency, scalability, and commercial potential. |
| PlasmaLeap Technologies | $2,584,617 | Sydney | PlasmaLeap Technologies will test the commercial and operational performance of low-emission nitrate fertiliser production for regional farms across NSW. |
| 5B Holdings | $2,500,000 | Sydney | 5B will prototype, test, and pilot the Next Generation Maverick Solution—an integrated, optimised and automated solar array system. This project enables major cost reductions and is designed for scalable manufacturing in high-labour cost environments like Australia. |
| Hullbot | $1,943,218 | Sydney | Hullbot is developing robotic hull cleaners to cut ship fuel use and emissions by 20%, eliminate toxic coatings and stop invasive species. With a 478,464 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2-e) per year target, Hullbot will also launch a high-tech NSW facility, creating jobs and driving clean-tech growth. |
| H Nu | $432,500 | Central Coast | H Nu will establish a production line for advanced fibre-optic current and voltage sensors for high-voltage grids and enhance software integration. The low-cost, accurate system supports power quality, protection and the transition to a renewable energy grid. |
| Sicona Battery Technologies | $1,675,000 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven | Sicona will build a pilot plant to demonstrate its Edge Functionalised Graphene (EFG) coolant, which can reduce energy use by over 50% in data centres and EVs. The project will refine the technology, address key risks, and validate commercial potential—positioning for scalable deployment. |
| Lab 360 Solar | $1,775,000 | Riverina Murray | Lab 360 will commercialise drone-based daytime photoluminescence imaging for residential, commercial and utility-scale solar. Scalable fault detection and performance analysis will improve reliability, lower costs and support a more sustainable, bankable solar future. |
| FPR Energy | $4,850,000 | Hunter | FPR Energy is commercialising its particle-based concentrated solar thermal technology. This will provide long-duration, low-cost, green heat and power. |
| Renewable Metals | $1,100,000 | Hunter | Renewable Metals will deliver a Hunter-based demonstration plant to assess the feasibility of NSW’s first commercial lithium battery recycling refinery. This project supports a circular battery economy and strengthens NSW’s position in clean tech across the energy, transport and industry sectors. |
| HydGene Renewables | $2,500,000 | Sydney | HydGene will convert farm waste into green bio-hydrogen for ammonia, boosting agri-sector sustainability and resilience. A pilot bioreactor will be built and commissioned to validate this technology and establish a scalable model for clean hydrogen production from biomass. |
| Kardinia Energy | $2,255,000 | Hunter | Kardinia Energy is advancing its lightweight, flexible and recyclable Printed Solar tech by embedding quality assurance and characterisation in production. This project boosts commercial readiness, enabling deployment where traditional solar is not viable and strengthens global market entry. |
| BT Imaging | $598,391 | Sydney | BT Imaging will deliver the world’s first in-line Photoluminescence and Machine Vision system with automated tuning, boosting solar cell and module efficiency. It supports local manufacturers like SunDrive and Tindo Solar and builds advanced manufacturing capability in Australia. |
Other opportunities
We are also exploring opportunities to:
- develop low emissions specifications to support the take up of emerging low carbon goods and services across NSW
- attract investment to the NSW clean technology sector. This includes helping you unlock other funding that exists across the government.
If you have any questions, email us at [email protected].