Nineteen standalone power system (SPS) units have been completed in the Esperance region, resulting in several commercial farms going off grid in Beaumont and Mount Ney.
They are the first of 45 SPS units to be installed in the area, with the other 26 to be operational by March 2022.
Horizon Power and its joint venture partner Boundary Power will deliver the $10 million SPS rollout, funded by the McGowan Government’s WA Recovery Plan.
The units are powered by solar panels and battery storage, and include back-up diesel generation, which deliver safer, cleaner, and more reliable power.
Each one can be remotely monitored and controlled, with maintenance conducted by local crews.
The 45 units will allow 120 kilometres of poles and wires to be removed from private paddocks in the region.
The McGowan Government made an election commitment to deliver 1,000 standalone power systems over five years across the regions and remote Aboriginal communities.
As stated by Energy Minister Bill Johnston:
“Western Australia continues to lead the way in the green energy revolution with the rollout of an additional 45 standalone power systems for the Esperance region.
“The other 24 systems have proven to be quite popular with the local farmers, who no longer have to navigate large machinery around poles and wires on their properties.
“The State Government is replacing ageing overhead distribution networks with standalone power systems, where commercially viable, which reduces the risk of bushfires for farmers while also improving power reliability.”
