Marble Bar and Nullagine power stations each consist of four 320kW diesel generators and a 300 kW solar array – they have over 2,000 solar modules which are ground mounted on a single axis solar tracking system, which is designed to follow the sun and maximise generation.

The idea of these ‘microgrids’ is to set up a power station that supplies the mining towns constant electricity while reducing their reliance on expensive diesel. ABB says that these solar/diesel power stations are providing the two towns with around 60% of their electricity needs from solar power. This is saving 400 000lts of diesel and 1100 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

This microgrid uses ABB’s PowerStore, a compact flywheel-based grid stabilizing generator. This basically absorbs the power and releases it (with a millisecond!) in order to stabilize the grid and control any fluctuations. ABB’s Microgrid Plus technology installed at the two power stations helps control the power stations.

ABB is installing microgrids such as this one all over the world. Their latest announcement shows a microgrid being installed in the African nation of Kenya.