Exmouth, gateway to Ningaloo, to go 80 per cent renewables with help of solar and battery

Two Western Australian power companies have struck a 20 year deal to supply mostly renewable electricity to Exmouth, a remote town near the world-heritage Ningaloo reserve in the state’s north west.

Off-grid specialist Pacific Energy will build a system that can supply 80 per cent renewable energy across a year to the town, the first project for the company to deliver such a hefty portion of solar and storage. 

The contract includes a 9.6 megawatt (MW) solar farm, 10MW/ 49.6MWh of battery energy storage (BESS) and a 7MW gas power station.

“This outcome really has been driven by the Exmouth community’s desire for a clean energy solution that will help them protect their UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Horizon Power’s commitment to delivering cleaner energy solutions to WA’s regional areas,” said Pacific Energy COO Mike Hall.  

“It was incumbent on us to demonstrate exactly what an 80 per cent-renewable solution would look like, and how we could integrate various technologies into the existing infrastructure to give the town the reliable, decarbonised power system it needs.

“We’re really proud to build on the work we’ve already delivered for Horizon Power and the people of WA to transition them to a clean energy future without affecting the safe, reliable and essential delivery of power.”

Too much wind

One community requirement was to reduce the number of times gas had to be transported through the town, which was what pushed the developer towards a solar-battery system. 

Wind power wasn’t an option given Exmouth’s location in a cyclone zone, Pacific Energy said. The Exmouth region sees winds top 100 kph during the cyclone season, according to the shire government. 

However, turbines cut out at that wind speed and can withstand wind speeds up to 250 kph, according to Hydro Tasmania. 

Together, the solar and BESS are expected to offset nearly 14,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually over the life of the 20-year power purchase agreement.

Pacific Energy took ownership of Exmouth’s existing gas fired power station in mid-September. Work is due to start on the renewables integration in early 2025 and the new system is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.

 Western Australia premier Roger Cook hopes the project will turn Exmouth into a renewable energy hub.

“As we transition to renewables, projects like this will unlock job-creating opportunities and diversify regional economies,” he said in a statement.

Remote solutions

Horizon Power operates the most spread out, islanded electricity network in the world. It has been pushing hard for decarbonised, standalone power systems that can operate in remote areas without having to rely on thousands of kilometres of power lines – and don’t rely on fossil fuels that must be constantly brought in. 

It has already installed a 3500kVA / 4,464kWh battery in Exmouth, with commissioning in February 2023, to allow more homes and businesses to access rooftop solar.

Earlier this year it said it wants renewables-only systems to provide almost 10,000 kWh of power to 10,272 homes and businesses in Broome, Derby, Camballin/Looma, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. 

It’s installing utility solar and battery storage systems in five Mid West towns – Cue, Meekatharra, Sandstone, Wiluna, and Yalgoo – and Norseman in the Goldfields. 

By late 2023 it had finished setting up Wiluna, Yalgoo and Sandstone and slashed its fuel bill in the process. 
And last year it began testing a 78kW/220kWh battery vanadium flow battery (VFB) in Kununurra, to experiment with long duration energy storage in remote locations.