A $55 million solar PV project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Northern Territory government will benefit remote communities.
A total of 10 MW of off-grid solar panel systems will be constructed at more than 30 remote communities in the NT. 9MW of the installations will collectively achieve a 15 per cent diesel fuel displacement. A 1MW array at Nauiyu (Daly River) will achieve approximately 50 per cent diesel fuel displacement.
Indigenous Essential Services – a subsidiary of Power and Water Corporation (PWC) – will manage the project.
“This project will open the door to a more diverse, secure energy mix for off-grid communities, and will also create local jobs and boost skills during construction and operation,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht.
“Importantly, the project will demonstrate the enormous advantages of solar/diesel hybrid systems in delivering cost-effective, reliable and safe power to remote locations.”
Mr Frischknecht said projects such as this will further advance the rollout of renewable energy based power generation systems as part of ‘business-as-usual’ operations for off-grid locations in Australia.
ARENA is an independent agency tasked with making renewable energy technologies more affordable and to increase the amount of renewable energy used in Australia.
In other recent ARENA news, the agency announced last week up to $2.1 million funding for National ICT Australia (NICTA) to develop an online national renewable energy mapping platform.
“Renewable energy project developers will be able to freely access spatial information such as ground measurements and existing infrastructure to assist with site identification,” said Mr Frischknecht.
“State and local governments will be able to use this information to assist with environmental and regulatory planning approvals, as well as for tracking and promoting projects in their region.”
The mapping project, which will see NICTA working with the Clean Energy Council and Geoscience Australia , is scheduled for completion in 2016.
