Exmouth could be 80 per cent powered by renewable energy by 2026, after Horizon Power tapped Pacific Energy to build a solar farm and two batteries under a power purchase deal.
Exmouth could be 80 per cent powered by renewable energy by 2026, after Horizon Power tapped Pacific Energy to build a solar farm and two batteries under a power purchase deal.
State government-agency Horizon Power signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Perth-based Pacific Energy for a mix of solar, battery storage and gas-fired power generation.
Pacific will build a 9.6-megawatt solar farm, two batteries with a combined 10MW/49MWh capacity and a 7MW gas power station to be located adjacent to the Exmouth Power Station, just south of the township.
Construction of the solar farm is tipped to commence in mid-2025. The project is expected to result in 80 per cent of the Gascoyne town’s power needs being met by renewable energy by 2026.
Pacific Energy said its hybrid system included an energy shifting battery energy storage system (BESS) that would power Exmouth with renewable energy even after the sun goes down.
It said wind power was ruled out due to the cyclonic wind region, meaning wind turbines wouldn’t function or would be damaged at the extreme wind speeds experienced in Exmouth.
Pacific Energy chief operating officer Mike Hall said his team had worked hard to ensure they could deliver a clean and reliable solution for the people of Exmouth.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“There was a strong community desire to see gas transport movements through town reduced, which we’ll achieve by offsetting gas reliance with solar generation and energy shifting storage.”
Energy Minister Reece Whitby said this step ensured Exmouth had clean, reliable and affordable energy into the future.
"Not only will construction of a new solar farm and two batteries create local jobs, but it will also directly lead to lower emissions and put regional communities at the forefront of leading our state’s decarbonisation,” he said.
"In combination with our efforts to decarbonise the Burrup, our government is showing it is serious about ensuring regional communities are at the forefront of the energy transition."
Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the state government recently formed a partnership to build the common-use transmission line to deliver 100 per cent renewable energy to industrial firms on the Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga).
The transmission line would run from the Maitland Strategic Industrial area to Murujuga, where Woodside, Yara, Rio Tinto, and Pilbara Ports have significant infrastructure.
