Logan City Council and Origin Energy have signed a multi-scope agreement that will support the region’s energy grid and help the city move from net zero towards real zero.
The Energy Partnership Agreement will run for an initial three years, with an option to extend for a further three years and aims to deliver a series of projects to manage on-site renewable energy generation and consumption.
Through the installation of large on-site solar and battery storage at energy intensive sites, the agreement will enable the council to reduce its emissions and operating costs.
On-site solar will help power day-time operations, with excess solar generation used to charge the batteries, which can then be used to power operations when the sun is not shining.
Logan City Council said it also plans to take part in Origin’s Demand Response program which involves moving flexible energy load away from periods of high demand on the grid and supports grid stability.
The council said that many of its energy assets will also be connected to Origin’s Virtual Power Plant, Loop.
City of Logan Mayor, Jon Raven, said the innovative agreement made sense as Logan’s population continues to boom.
“As the fastest-growing city in Queensland and also one of the youngest and most diverse, people are moving here and putting demand on the energy grid,” he said.
Mr Raven said that there is potential for the city to take large council sites such as the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant off the grid at peak times.
“For example, when people are cooking dinner at 6pm and placing high demand on the grid, we can run the treatment plant on alternative energy sources for a few hours and then reconnect when demand drops.”
Other projects to be explored through the agreement include next-generation battery storage technology and commercial models including community batteries, electric vehicles and charging stations.
“We’re focused on projects that will deliver a brighter future for the City of Logan by working in close partnership with Origin,” Mr Raven said.
“It means we can start to move away from carbon offsets towards full decarbonisation, while also reducing council’s energy costs.
“Imagine what the energy landscape would look like if every council across Australia worked hand in hand with the sector like this,” Mr Raven said.
Origin Zero General Manager Enterprise and Strategic Partners, Liam McWhirter, said Origin is proud to be working with Logan City Council to their decarbonisation journey in a tailored and flexible way that will help them reduce their energy costs.
“We applaud the council for their initiative, and we look forward to working in partnership with them on a range of initiatives.”
Logan City Council said it engaged in a competitive tender process before agreeing to partner with Origin Zero, a business unit within Origin that helps business customers on their decarbonisation journey.
The council said it achieved carbon neutral certification in late 2022, and has a proud track record of sustainability, including using solar PV at its facilities, converting sewage into renewable energy through an Australian-first gasification facility, introducing kerbside greenwaste collection, generating energy from gas captured at the Browns Plains Waste and Recycling Facility and introducing electric and hybrid vehicles to its fleet.
The organisation has also delivered a 35 per cent reduction in emissions – equivalent to 85,000t of carbon emissions avoided – which was recognised by the Australian Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership in 2023.
Featured image: Solar panels at the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant. Image: Logan City Council.
