EDL picks Hydro Tasmania tech for hybrid power system

Australian firm Hydro Tasmania said Monday it will deploy an off-grid hybrid system in the remote northern parts of South Australia state, combining solar, wind, diesel, storage and advanced control technologies.

The Australian renewable energy producer will work on the Coober Pedy Renewable Diesel Hybrid scheme under a contract with project developer Energy Developments Ltd (EDL). The plans envisage a hybrid system that integrates 4 MW of wind, 1 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity and a 1-M /250-kWh battery with an existing 3.9-MW diesel power station.

Once up and running, the array is expected to be able to generate enough electricity to meet as much as 70% of the electricity needs of Coober Pedy. In times of very favorable weather conditions, the town could be entirely powered by renewable energy, Hydro Tasmania noted.

Earlier this year, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) agreed to help finance the off-grid scheme by contributing up to AUD 18.4 million (USD 13.3m/EUR 12m) in grant funding towards it. “With our off-grid successes on King Island and developments underway at ARENA supported projects on Flinders and Rottnest Islands, plus Coober Pedy to come, Tasmania’s future as a provider of these energy solutions to the global market is extremely bright,” CEO Steve Davy noted.

The deal represents Hydro Tasmania’s biggest external supply contract to date. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2017.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.723/EUR 0.650)

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