About

About ARENA

• What's on this page?
  • ARENA at a Glance
  • Timeline – History of ARENA

Our expertise, deep understanding of the renewable energy sector and our willingness to fund innovative and ground-breaking projects mean we provide a pathway to commercialisation for many new technologies and businesses that would otherwise struggle to get off the ground or be potentially lost to overseas markets. We help them get on with the business of renewables.

At ARENA, we also actively identify and troubleshoot issues arising from the energy transition – from technological and commercial issues to regulatory and market barriers, and provide funding for projects that help solve these issues.

We undertake research and inform policy decisions, we bring together people from across the energy sector, government, startups and universities to collaborate with one another, and share their knowledge.

Read about how we are governed.

Watch the ARENA video

ARENA at a Glance

Timeline

Scroll through our interactive timeline to view our achievements.

2018–2019Read the Annual Report (PDF 4MB)

$228 million committed to 80 new projects

• Funded the first utility scale waste-to-energy facility
• Rollout of 60+ ultra-fast EV charging stations starts
• Funded four big batteries
• 11 projects funded to trial short-term forecasting at wind and solar farms
• $11.6 million committed to navigate the integration of distributed energy resources

2017–2018Read the Annual Report (PDF 8MB)

$181.3 million committed to 86 new projects

• Darren Miller appointed as CEO
• Funding for Australia’s first green hydrogen innovation hub
• Ten pilot demand response projects commence operation
• $22.1 million committed to 16 hydrogen research projects
• Launched the Distributed Energy Integration Program with 11 market bodies

2016–2017Read the Annual Report (PDF 4MB)

$123 million committed to 35 new projects

• 12 ARENA-funded large-scale solar farms commence construction
• Launch of A-Lab innovation hub to foster partnerships & develop innovative projects
• Three A-Lab projects funded

2015–2016Read the Annual Report (PDF 4MB)

$74.2 million committed to 28 new projects

• Advancing Renewables Program (ARP) launched
• $200 million Clean Energy Innovation Fund announced (with CEFC)
• Commissioned Australia’s first mine powered by renewables, off-setting 20 per cent of its diesel consumption
• 10 ARENA projects broke world records, achieving world or Australian firsts

2014–2015Read the Annual Report (PDF 3MB)

$278 million committed to 48 projects

• $21.5 million committed to 12 solar PV research and development (R&D) projects
• Provided funding for installation of solar PV into 25 remote Indigenous communities
• Received UN Association of Australia World Environment Day Award

2013–2014Read the Annual Report (PDF 3MB)

$85.2 million committed to 14 projects

• Launched the R&D Program
• ANU developed solar cells using nanoparticles that generate more electrical current than thin-film cells

2012–2013Read the Annual Report (PDF 2.5MB)

$399.8 million transferred to ARENA across 96 projects

• Inaugural CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, appointed
• Managed a portfolio of more than 150 projects valued at $1.1 billion
• Launched four major initiatives totalling $560 million (I-RAR, CARRE, ASCI, SHARE)¹
• Catalysed the creation of the large scale solar industry by providing $268 m to build a combined capacity of 211 MWAC across three solar farms

2012

ARENA Act commenced providing ARENA with $2.5 billion in funding to invest until 2022

• Absorbs Australian Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE) and the Australian Solar Institute (ASI), which includes the ERP, REVC Fund, ABIR Program, Gen 2 Biofuels Program, ACAP, ASTRI and Solar Flagships Program²
• Commits $824m to projects under programs absorbed (above)

2011

Government announced the establishment of ARENA

• 2 December – The Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011 (ARENA Act) received royal assent

1. I-RAR – Regional Australia’s Renewables Industry Program, ASCI – Accelerated Step Change Initiative, CARRE – Regional Australia’s Renewables Community and Regional Program, SHARE – Supporting High-value Australian Renewable Energy Knowledge

2. ERP – Emerging Renewables Program, REVC – Renewable Energy Venture Capital, ABIR – Advanced Biofuels Investment Readiness, Gen 2 – Second Generation Biofuels Research Development Program, ACAP – Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic, ASTRI – Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute