CSIRO Launches New Facility to Fast-Track Australia’s Clean Energy Transition
CSIRO’s upgraded Renewable Energy Integration Facility (REIF) in Newcastle has been officially launched following a $3 million investment to expand its capabilities in battery testing, grid and load simulation, and inverter control. The facility is open to external industry and research organisations for collaboration and commercialisation projects that help address energy sector challenges.
The Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) initiative spanning UNSW and the University of Newcastle supports R&D projects with funding, expertise and commercialisation programs. Access to the REIF adds a powerful new dimension to its offering, giving TRaCE projects access to world-class facilities and equipment to validate and scale their technologies to commercial readiness.
What REIF can do
Located at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, the REIF is built to test how renewable energy technologies – solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles – perform under real-world grid conditions. The facility can simulate faults, peak demand and extreme weather, and is one of the only places in Australia where vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can be fully tested and demonstrated.
Standout capabilities include power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) testing, inverter prototyping, standards verification, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) demonstrations. With over 15 EV charging stations from Australian and global suppliers, it covers the full spectrum of next-generation energy testing.
What this means for TRaCE partners and researchers
TRaCE supports 33 major R&D projects and more than 120 companies, most of them are working on clean energy technologies. Lab validation is no longer sufficient, they now require advanced performance testing, system integration and certification-level validation to increase Technology Readiness Levels and prepare for commercial deployment.
Having this capability right here in Australia is a game-changer, shortening time-to-market, cutting cost and risk, and strengthening Australia’s sovereign renewable energy manufacturing capability.
Industry doesn’t invest in potential, it invests in validated performance and reduced risk. Access to credible, independent testing infrastructure is essential to attract private sector capital.
The facility is already delivering results. CSIRO’s REIF has helped a number of SMEs accelerate their technology development, including Greenlab.energy, with more companies coming through TRaCE’s Technology Translation Squad, a dedicated program providing rapid engineering support for SMEs and startups.
Register your interest
Under the Trailblazer Universities Program, which funded the REIF upgrade, TRaCE projects will benefit from dedicated access to the facility. The TRaCE team is currently finalising access plans for partners. Industry collaborators, researchers and startups are encouraged to register their interest now to stay informed and be ready when access opens.
“The Renewable Energy Integration Facility allows us to work side-by-side with industry and market bodies to design innovative solutions to the local and global challenges in the energy transition,” said CSIRO Energy Systems Research Program Director Dr John Ward.
“Partnering with TRaCE supports Australian innovation and manufacturing by providing a rigorous, independent environment to evaluate new technologies before they reach market.”
For TRaCE and its industry partners the REIF is not just infrastructure, it is a commercial acceleration platform that enables technologies to move from research to scalable, investable solutions.
➤ Register your interest here.
➤ Learn more about REIF here.
