A new study will examine whether South Australia’s Kangaroo Island can disconnect from the mainland and switch to 100 percent renewable energy.
The University of Sydney’s (UTS) Institute of Sustainable Futures is conducting the study with the assistance of $60,000 funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Kangaroo Island is considered a “fringe of grid” community and draws power from an aged 15-kilometre long, 33,000-volt underwater electricity cable from the mainland.
With the cable reaching the end of its expected life, owner-operator South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) is investigating different means of supplying the island’s estimated 4,600 residents with electricity.
SAPN’s preferred option is to install a new $45 million cable connecting the island to the main electricity grid. However, the network operator has also issued a two-month request for proposals for non-network alternatives such as solar and wind power to replace the cable.
The UTS research study, “Towards 100% Renewable Energy for Kangaroo Island”, will look at the latest renewable energy technologies and assess which would be the best fit for the community.
“Powering a large community like Kangaroo Island with reliable and affordable renewable energy is a challenging task, but the early indications of the study are encouraging,” said Chris Dunstan, Project Director at UTS’s Institute of Sustainable Futures.
“If we can show that renewable energy is technically and economically viable for Kangaroo Island, it would be a powerful precedent for communities around Australia who are seeking to develop their own renewable energy resources.”
The study has been welcomed by Kangaroo Island residents and councillors, who say exploiting the island’s clean energy resources has been on the agenda since 2011.
“Kangaroo Island has great wind, solar and biomass resources and a strong commitment to environmentally sustainable economic development,” said Kangaroo Island Council CEO Andrew Boardman.
“Reliable, renewable energy should be the cornerstone of this development. It is crucial that we invest the time to investigate properly our clean energy options.”
The Island already has significant solar capacity in the form of home solar power systems. According to Energy Matters, there are approximately 478 solar panel installations on Kangaroo Island, totaling 1.7MW of capacity.
Acting ARENA CEO Ian Kay said the UTS study would provide crucial information on the potential of renewable technologies to supply the Island with clean and reliable energy into the future.
Results of the study will be released in the middle of next month.
