Power and Water Corporation is continuing to enable energy transformation in remote Northern Territory communities with a new project to install a 970kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Titjikala.
The BESS will augment the community’s existing 400kW solar array to deliver increased cost savings and environmental benefits from decarbonisation.
Once completed, the project will make Titjikala the second remote community where energy generation costs will be significantly reduced because of the use of solar and battery technology.
The addition of the BESS is projected to increase fuel savings from 18 per cent due to solar alone to 66 per cent.
“This project is another great example of how Power and Water is continuing to transform its remote energy supply portfolio to include renewable energy sources,” Power and Water Executive General Manager Power Services Ross Musgrove said.
“We’ve built on our learnings from the flagship diesel/solar/battery site at the community of Nauiyu (Daly River) under our Solar Energy Transformation Program (SETuP).
“We’re also continuing to build internal expertise and capacity by including operational staff from the Alice Springs region to give them first-hand project experience, technology familiarisation and job training opportunities.”
The existing generation assets in the community include a three-engine diesel power station and a 400kW PV array previously installed as part of SETuP.
The project, valued at an estimated $950,000, will be funded by the Northern Territory Government through its annual capital program for Power and Water’s remote community service delivery.
The project is expected to be completed by early 2021.
BESS technology allows storage of excess solar energy and allows the diesel engines to be turned off during the daytime. The diesel engines will start up again overnight when the BESS is depleted.
The transitions between diesel on and off states will happen seamlessly without interruption to customer electricity supply.
Once the BESS is installed, Power and Water expect to save approximately 156,000 litres of diesel annually.
The project will also provide additional environmental benefits for the community including reduced noise, pollution and traffic on the roads from heavy vehicle diesel delivery trucks.
The decarbonisation benefits from this project will support the Northern Territory Government’s renewable energy target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030.
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Phone: 0401 117 599
View the media release from the Minister for Renewables, Energy & Essential Services, Dale Wakefield.
