Hybrid energy to power Flinders Island

Renewable energy producer Hydro Tasmania will soon start work on developing a ‘Hybrid Energy Hub’ in order to power the off-grid community of Flinders Island with a variety of renewable energy technologies. The project has received $5.5 million in support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

Project director Simon Gamble explained that Flinders Island is “heavily reliant on expensive diesel fuel to supply its electricity needs”, with diesel fuel its single largest expense. When fellow Tasmanian island King Island faced a similar problem, Hydro Tasmania implemented the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP), with outstanding results.

KIREIP has been supplying over 65% of King Island’s energy needs using renewable energy - and up to 100% when conditions allow. The Hybrid Energy Hub will follow in its path, with ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht saying the project will displace more than 60% of the island’s diesel-generated energy with a combination of solar, wind, diesel, storage and enabling technologies.

“Technologies like storage and dynamic resistors smooth out the power generated from solar and wind, while the automated control systems ensure generation and enabling equipment are coordinated and perform when required,” Frischknecht said. The technologies have been integrated into a new form which is designed to drive down the cost of these systems.

Hydro Tasmania has also worked with Tasmanian manufacturers to develop a series of modular units to house and ship the enabling technologies essential to the energy solution. The units will allow easy and rapid transport and installation for renewable energy projects, and could also serve temporary uses such as in disaster relief or in the mining industry.

“This low-cost, scalable approach has the potential to be a real game changer in remote areas,” said Frischknecht. “Reducing the amount of construction and engineering work needed to be carried out on-site would significantly reduce costs, risks and construction time.”

The $12.9 million Flinders Island project is scheduled for completion in November 2016.