The Federal Government is investing $330 million to cut emissions across Australian heavy industry through the Powering the Regions Fund.
The funding is set to support nine projects upgrading facilities and transitioning to lower emissions energy sources.
Two major initiatives focused on renewable power received backing. Murrin Murrin Operations was awarded $35.7 million for a hybrid renewable energy project supplementing its existing fossil fuel power with solar, wind and battery storage at its cobalt and nickel site in Leonora, Western Australia.
Grange Resources landed $15 million to electrify its underground iron ore operations at Savage River in Tasmania, reducing diesel fuel use as the mine transitions from open cut.
Several other projects aiming to improve energy efficiency and switch to alternative fuel use. Cement Australia will receive $52.9 million for upgrades allowing increased waste-derived fuel use at its Railton kiln in Tasmania.
Queensland Alumina Limited secured $93.9 million to retrofit low temperature digestion cutting coal and gas consumption at its Gladstone refinery. Adbri was granted $50 million to install vertical roller mills boosting lower-carbon cement production in Port Adelaide.
The initiatives comprise the first $134 million tranche of the $600 million Safeguard Transformation Stream assisting industry emission reductions. They are expected to abate 830,000 tonnes of emissions per year.
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