A renewable energy future is one step closer for the remote Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory with a pilot program for a solar and storage project.
Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island will be the site of the program as part of a Northern Territory-funded project, with $8.6 million over four years going to the Renewable Remote Power Program, including $6.1 million towards the Wurrumiyanga Solar Infill and Energy Storage Pilot Project.
The tender for design and construction has been awarded to Circular Solutions, who will replace some of the current diesel generated power supply with renewable technology.
Works are expected to be completed by April next year.
Wurrimuyanga already hosts solar technology which will be increased with the installation of additional solar PV panels and a new battery energy storage system.
The project will add 1.1 megawatts of additional solar PV and a Battery Energy Storage System of about 3 megawatt hours. It is expected that the percentage of renewable energy delivered to the community will increase to close to 50 per cent.
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NT Minister for Renewables and Energy Selena Uibo says Wurrumiyanga is “an incredible place, both for its people and beautiful country”.
“This renewable energy project will help to protect and preserve it and ensure future generations can continue to thrive with help from solar energy,” Uibo says.
“I am proud that the Territory Labor Government is delivering this important project and changing the way power is generated in our communities for a cleaner, greener Territory.”
Another $2 million will be spent by the NT Government over the next two years to progress the delivery of clean electricity to remote communities across the Territory.
Work to date has included a framework to deliver renewable energy systems to the 73 remote communities supplied by Indigenous Essential Services (IES), including opportunities for innovative technologies such as hydrogen.
Each IES community is also being assessed to determine the best options for renewable energy development.
The NT Government has announced a target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030, including a 70 per cent target in all communities supplied by IES.
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says renewables play a key role in unlocking private investment and creating local jobs.
“A renewables future is now one step closer for the Wurrumiyanga community and we look forward to the lessons learnt from this project being extended to other remote Territory communities,” Fyles says.
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