NERA Industry Growth Centre to finish up in July

One of the previous federal government’s Industry Growth Centres, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), has announced that it will conclude its operations in July.

NERA said it is currently involved in helping “frame up a national coordinating body for Australia’s offshore wind sector”.

The organisation said it had established a network of more than 5,400 organisations over its lifespan, which began in 2016, and had driven collaborations, research, projects, programs and initiatives related to the decarbonisation and digitalisation of energy resources. Its funding expires at the end of the financial year.

One of its most recent initiatives was establishing a Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA), dedicated to driving “excellence in offshore infrastructure re-use and decommissioning” and which is now a standalone entity.

“Over the past seven years, NERA has established itself as a trusted collaboration partner to industry, technology developers, CRCs, research organisations, regulators and policy makers at both the State and Federal levels,” said CEO Miranda Taylor in a statement.

“NERA has been one of the drivers behind the growth of the hydrogen, subsea, ocean energy and decommissioning clusters and centres, and has played a pivotal role in establishing the Future Energy Exports CRC and facilitating the work program of the WA Government’s LNG Jobs Taskforce. 

Other achievements cited included administration of a $15.6 million project fund, helping create $45 million in investment across 60 commercialisation projects involving over 700 partners, and establishment of the nation’s first hydrogen cluster network, Hydrogen Technology Cluster Australia (H2TCA).

Picture: credit NERA