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Renewable Heat Adoption Challenge
Currently open and in scoping stage.
Why is this Challenge important?
The food and beverage (F&B) sector is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, providing essential goods and employment across the country. Yet globally, the sector is responsible for an estimated 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, driven by energy-intensive processes such as industrial heating, cooling, and processing.
Despite the availability of proven low-carbon heating technologies, adoption across the industry remains slow due to high upfront costs, integration challenges, and limited local demonstration projects. Accelerating clean heat adoption is critical to reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, and strengthening supply chain resilience across Australia’s F&B industry.
About this Challenge
The Greenhouse Food & Beverage Industrial Heating Scoping Project is an ongoing initiative exploring how targeted support and industry collaboration can accelerate the transition to low-carbon industrial heat.
Building on Phase 1 of the Industrial Decarbonisation Program, which identified key barriers to clean process heat adoption, this scoping phase focuses on understanding the specific needs of Australia’s mid-sized food and beverage manufacturers.
The project aims to shape a future Heating Adoption Challenge — designed to move companies from planning to implementation through peer learning, business case development, and funding readiness.
The scoping project seeks to:
- Identify key barriers and enablers for clean heat adoption in the F&B sector.
- Engage manufacturers, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to co-design practical, demand-driven solutions.
- Explore the structure and design of a future Heating Adoption Challenge to support companies ready to implement decarbonisation solutions.
The Challenge process
Following Greenhouse’s proven open-innovation model, the process included:
01
Industry Engagement: Ongoing consultations with manufacturers, industry associations, and technology providers.
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Barrier Analysis: Deep dives into cost, technology, and integration challenges limiting adoption.
03
Opportunity Mapping: Identifying pathways for scaling low-carbon heating solutions.
04
Challenge Design: Exploring potential frameworks for a targeted Heating Adoption Challenge.
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Challenge results
Where We Are Now
The project is currently underway, with active industry engagement and analysis in progress. Early insights highlight strong interest in collaborative, peer-led approaches to overcome internal and financial barriers to decarbonisation.
Findings from this phase will directly inform the design of a national Heating Adoption Challenge, launching in the next stage of the program.
Partner With Us
Greenhouse is inviting industry partners, manufacturers, and collaborators to join the scoping phase and help shape the next generation of clean industrial heat solutions.
If your organisation is interested in participating or learning more, contact us to be part of shaping Australia’s clean heat future.
Collaborate with us
Whether you’re a government, corporate, or industry coalition, we can mobilise the right ecosystem to meet your climate targets.