ARENA is proving $4.6 million in funding for a 1MW solar expansion to Doomadgee Solar Farm in remote Queensland. The project is the first to be funded through ARENA’s Community and Regional Renewable Energy program.

The Ergon Energy expansion will cost a total of $11.9 million and take the total to 1.26MWs of solar power. This Doomadgee solar PV/diesel hybrid system is one of Ergon’s 33 diesel power plants which services 38 remote communities. This will be a demonstration project and show how renewable energies such as solar power can help drastically reduce the amount of expensive diesel needed in order to supply power to these communities.

Supporting technologies such as an advanced control system, low-load diesel, stability control and diesel-off capability will also be integrated. At some times, the solar panels will provide 100% penetration and the system will then be able to switch off its diesel generators.

According to ARENA, this project aims to demonstrate the technical viability and system reliability of a hybrid electricity system involving a large amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy with diesel generation.

“This ambitious project in the Gulf of Carpentaria will drastically reduce the Doomadgee community’s reliance on expensive diesel fuel and secure its future power production with renewable, reliable solar,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht. “Ergon Energy will achieve up to 100 per cent solar penetration, displacing an expected 528,000 litres of diesel per year.”

“It also has the potential to catalyse further investment in renewable solutions across Ergon Energy’s significant network, which covers 97 per cent of Queensland and provides power to more than 700,000 customers,” said Mr Frischknecht.

“Over time, this project – and others like it – will help drive down cost, making high penetration renewable solutions cost competitive with diesel.”