• The Charles Sturt Renewables in Agriculture Centre of Excellence will be on show at the Henty Machinery Field Days from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 September
• The Centre provides an opportunity for start-ups and service providers to test and improve ideas in a collaborative, integrated commercial farm setting
• Up to $2 million dollars will be made available through the new Agri-Renewables Innovation Challenge

A new Charles Sturt University research centre is placing its focus on creating prosperous, regenerative and vibrant farms and regions by leveraging the untapped potential of renewables.

The Renewables in Agriculture Centre of Excellence (RenCoE), an initiative of Charles Sturt University and Food Agility, is part of Agrisciences Research and Business Park’s (AgriPark) Global Digital Farm, located on 2,000 hectares at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga, NSW.

Director of RenCoE Mr Stephen Summerhayes (pictured) said the Centre aims to address some of the challenges faced by farmers.

“The Centre aims to unite researchers, industry, government and community stakeholders in a collaborative open innovation research environment to drive the adoption and maximise the value of renewable energy in agriculture and regions,” he said.

“There’s never been a better time to get involved in agri-renewables.”

Behaviour change processes are a big consideration so stakeholders considered in the design of RenCoE include farmers and producers; organisations advancing renewable energy technologies; services and practices; researchers, academics and students; representative bodies, policy makers and industry stakeholders.

RenCoE will establish an integrated portfolio of collaborative research projects at AgriPark to demonstrate and scale renewable energy technologies, services and practices.

“We want to create a space where technology providers, farmers, academics, investors, policy makers and others can see renewable energy innovations in action, ask questions, make comparisons and share their own ideas,” Mr Summerhayes said.

“The Centre will provide a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, skills development and entrepreneurship.”

The Centre had a soft launch at EvokeAg in Perth in February 2024 and will be featured at the Charles Sturt site at the upcoming Henty Machinery Field Days.

RenCoE, in partnership with RACE for 2030 CRC, has launched the Agri-Renewables Innovation Challenge to support the development of innovative technology and services.

Challengers are tasked with addressing up to three core themes, including fertilisers and chemicals, energy, and agricultural wastes and residues. The Challenge will be featured at the Charles Sturt site at the upcoming Henty Machinery Field Days.

Charles Sturt will provide one-third co-investment for successful applicants from a $2 million investment pool.

Submissions are open until Friday 11 October, with successful challengers announced at the Digital Agrifood Summit on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October.

Charles Sturt University’s site at the Henty Machinery Field Days, which runs from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 September, will be located at Block N, site 564-566, on the corner of Main Road and 9th Farm Avenue.