Australia’s King Island runs on 100% renewable power for 33h

Australian firm Hydro Tasmania said Thursday the hybrid renewable energy system it installed on King Island was able to meet its entire electricity needs for nearly 33 hours.

This achievement from earlier in November marks a significant milestone for the Tasmania state island. Another record was reported in October, when all diesel generators were switched off for a second 26-hour period.

Hydro Tasmania’s King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP) combines wind, solar and biodiesel systems along with energy storage technologies such as batteries, a diesel-based Uninterruptable Power Supply (D-UPS), a smart grid and advanced control systems. Their combined output is expected to be able to meet at least 65% of local electricity demand, while also offsetting over 95% of the island’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) backed the AUD-18.25-million (USD 13m/EUR 12.1m) scheme with AUD 6 million in funding and is also supporting a similar off-grid hybrid on project Flinders Island.

“This is the first remote system on this scale capable of supplying the power needs of an entire community, including industrial customers and an extensive distribution network, solely through wind and solar energy,” project director, Simon Gamble, noted.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.714/EUR 0.664)

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