The Minns Labor Government is investing a further $225 million to create more local jobs in domestic manufacturing and help NSW businesses build the products and materials needed for the low-carbon industries of the future.
The funding will support projects that are part of the growing low-carbon manufacturing industry in NSW. It will help businesses expand local production, attract private investment and make more of the equipment, materials and technologies needed for a low-carbon economy.
Support will be allocated with a view to creating more skilled jobs, new opportunities for local workers and stronger regional economies. Applications open today.
As global demand grows for clean energy and low-carbon products, the Minns Labor Government is backing NSW businesses to seize this global opportunity by manufacturing more of these products here at home, including:
- renewable energy components such as wind towers, solar panels, batteries and transmission cables
- low-carbon products such as blended cement, cross-laminated timber and biofuels
- emerging clean technologies such as new-generation renewables and storage, AI-driven agricultural systems and lithium battery recycling.
This funding builds on the success of the Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative grants which are already backing more than 40 projects creating around 1,000 new jobs.
These include a new solar panel manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley, a Renewables Manufacturing Hub in Western Sydney, the expansion of manufacturing to include Super High Voltage transformers at the heart of Renewable Energy Zones, expanded production of low-carbon flat-pack housing in Orange, and pioneering battery component technology in the Illawarra.
This investment can also make it cheaper to manufacture in NSW by reducing energy costs for businesses. In Sydney's Horsley Park, NSW Government funding is supporting a new bioenergy facility that will turn organic waste into renewable gas. That biomethane will be used by a co-located brick plant, cutting the plant's natural gas use by 50 per cent.
This round of funding will focus on commercial and construction-ready projects that can deliver immediate impact.
Successful projects will attract significant private investment to NSW, with grant recipients required to match or exceed NSW Government funding dollar-for-dollar.
In the first round, every dollar of NSW Government funding has yielded one and a half dollars of co-investment in NSW.
The investment will create jobs, further the transformation of our energy system, and support the state's legislated targets to cut emissions by 70 per cent by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050.
For more information, visit: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/NetZeroManufacturing
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe said:
"Our investment in low-carbon manufacturing has already supported the creation of around 1,000 jobs, and this boost will power the next wave of industry and opportunity across NSW.
"This additional funding will help ensure NSW does not just import technology, but builds more of it locally to benefit communities and workers."
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:
"By backing local manufacturing, we are helping build the industries that will power the next generation of jobs and growth in NSW.
"We want more of the products, materials and technologies needed for a low-carbon economy to be made right here, using skilled local workers."
Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement, Courtney Houssos said:
"This investment will support manufacturers to grow, create local jobs and strengthen regional economies.
"The Net Zero Manufacturing grants are a key part of how our Minns Labor Government is backing local manufacturing and backing NSW workers."
Business NSW Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Hunter said:
"This investment by the NSW Government will back manufacturers to expand, invest and compete for the next generation of industrial opportunities.
"The funding will help businesses scale up, invest with confidence and make more of the products the economy will need in the decades ahead.
"We still have courageous and world-beating businesses making things in NSW - from clothing to modular housing and medical technology."
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union NSW/ACT State Secretary, Brad Pidgeon said:
"NSW manufacturing workers have the skills and experience to build the products needed for the future, from renewable energy components to low-carbon building materials.
"This investment is an important step towards creating secure, skilled jobs in the regions that have powered NSW industry for generations."
