Daintree microgrid: When solar, hydrogen energy project will switch on
Diesel generators will become a relic of the past with a construction date set for a clean-energy microgrid in the Daintree – and it could switch on sooner than expected.
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DIESEL generators will no longer be spewing fumes into the Daintree Rainforest with cash now on the table to bring a clean-energy microgrid to the ecologically sensitive area.
The federal government has awarded Volt Advisory Group $18.75m over three years to develop the renewable energy microgrid, with construction to start by the end of the year.
It will incorporate a 8MW solar farm, 20MWh of battery storage and a 1MW clean hydrogen plant.
The grant followed a feasibility study that found the conversion of excess energy from existing and new solar panels to hydrogen, via electrolysis, would work for the remote area.
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch has been trying for decades to get funding to help Daintree residents forgo their reliance on diesel generators.
“This project, which also includes the laying of new fibre-optic cables, will significantly improve communications in the region and will be welcome news for residents and business owners,” he said.
“Microgrid technology is becoming increasingly cost-effective, creating the opportunity for reliable, low-cost, off-grid power in communities like the Daintree.
“But more importantly, from an environmental aspect, it will remove the need to burn dirty and inefficient diesel in the Daintree, allowing residents to have access to a cleaner, more affordable, more reliable source of energy.”
The hydrogen produced by the electrolysis process will be stored to be used to generate electricity during unfavourable conditions when solar power is out of the question.
The Daintree area currently uses an estimated four million litres of diesel per year to generate power.
The microgrid will be built along roadways and on previously cleared land to avoid disturbance to the World Heritage-listed rainforest.
Roughly 300-400 properties are expected to get mains power from the effort which will extend from the Alexandra Range to Cape Tribulation.
A second stage, yet to be funded, will entail directional drilling through the Alexandra Range, through Cape Kimberley and up to Forest Creek Rd.
The Daintree project is being considered a pilot effort that could be replicated in other remote areas of Australia if successful.
Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the microgrid would reduce pollution and noise from diesel generators – and serve as a valuable demonstration of solar to hydrogen technology.
“The renewable and hydrogen microgrid will use cutting edge technology to reduce emissions and drive down costs by ending the community’s reliance on costly diesel generation,” Mr Taylor said.
The project will support 200 local jobs and pave the path for further steps towards a carbon-neutral future. Construction will start this year with power being switched on by 2024.
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Originally published as Daintree microgrid: When solar, hydrogen energy project will switch on
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