Hydro Tasmania to develop off-grid hybrid power system on Rottnest Island

Australian firm Hydro Tasmania will deploy a AUD-7.3-million (USD 5.2m/EUR 4.9m) off-grid hybrid system on Rottnest Island that will combine solar, wind, diesel, storage and advanced control technologies.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) said in a statement on Wednesday it will back the particular project with AUD 4.8 million in financing.

The Australian renewable energy producer and water manager will develop a hybrid system that integrates 600 kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation with an existing 600-kW wind turbine and several diesel generators. The project also involves the installation of advanced control systems at the island’s desalination plant and water storage facility, thus enabling the use of more renewable energy with no batteries.

Upon its completion in March 2017, this system is expected to help meet roughly 45% of the island community’s 5-GWh annual electricity demand, which is currently being supplied by five conventional diesel engines, two low-load diesel engines and the single wind turbine.

Hydro Tasmania has two similar off-grid green projects, located on King Island and Flinders Island.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.710/EUR 0.667)

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