EDL

Australia Energy Development Limited (EDL) has obtained $17.3m from Australian government to deploy an off-grid diesel hybrid plant in South Australia.

EDL aims to combine 3MW of wind generation, 2MW of solar PV and 3.9MW of the existing diesel station to provide the city of Coober Pedy with 70% renewable energy. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), set up in 2012 by Australian government, gave the funding to support the project.

The project will also include short-term energy storage, fast-start diesel engines and a control system.

“These enabling technologies have been successfully tried and tested by Hydro Tasmania at the ARENA-supported King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project and this represents an opportunity to see them evolve for use on the mainland and in an outback community that has few alternative energy options,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht.

“This ambitious project may demonstrate a combined approach for powering off-grid Australian communities that currently rely solely on expensive trucked-in diesel,” added Frischknecht.

Australia’s off-grid demand is growing and renewable energy projects can lead to savings of expenses as technology costs reduce and fossil fuel costs increase, highlighted the company.

EDL intends to restructure an existing power purchasing agreement with Coober Pedy with a 20-year agreement.