The Federal Government yesterday announced that a new $20 million Clean Energy Innovation Centre (CEIC) will be headquartered in Newcastle.

It’s a great coup for NSW’s second largest city, which has traditionally been driven by coal exports. Now, Newcastle will become a hub dedicated to promoting clean energy technology use by industry and fostering clean tech SMEs from around Australia.

The CEIC will partner with Newcastle Innovation, the Australian Institute of Commercialisation and the Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association to match the sector’s best R&D with fertile commercialisation opportunities. It is also expcted to play a pivotal role in providing industry with new solutions to meet Commonwealth requirements for a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2010 and a 20 percent Mandatory Renewable Energy Target by 2020.

Photo: Caveman 92223 ^[1] (Flickr)