A new off-grid renewable project in South Australia will combine wind, solar and battery storage to provide the town of Coober Pedy with up to 70 per cent renewable energy over a 20-year project life.
The Coober Pedy Renewable Diesel Hybrid project will be built, owned and operated by Energy Developments Limited (EDL).
The project will use a hybrid combination of 4MW wind, 1MW solar and a 1MW/250kWh battery. These will be integrated with EDL’s existing 3.9MW diesel power station.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $18.4million in funding support, enabling the project to reach financial close.
ARENA has together with EDL throughout the project’s two-year conception phase.
ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, said the Coober Pedy project is a prime example of Australia’s world-leading expertise in devising renewable micro-grid solutions with strong export potential.
“This is a next-generation off-grid project, taking advantage of advanced renewable and enabling technologies that have already been successfully trialled at off-grid locations such as King Island,” Mr Frischknecht said.
“Combining wind, solar, battery storage and smart control systems could provide a blueprint for off-grid communities to access cleaner and cheaper power and achieve energy independence by greatly reducing their reliance on trucked-in diesel.”
The project is underpinned by a 20-year power purchase agreement with the District Council of Coober Pedy, supported by the South Australian Government.
Construction is due to commence in September 2016 and completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018.
