A remote Northern Territory community will soon source up to half of its electricity supply from renewables, with new works underway to further slash diesel consumption in the Tiwi Islands.
The NT government said this week it had awarded the contract for a $6.1 million Wurrumiyanga Solar Infill and Energy Storage Pilot Project to install 1.1MW of PV and 3MWh of battery storage at Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island, the largest community in the Tiwi Islands.
The new solar and storage system will be added to existing solar technology in the community, and further replace the diesel generated power supply.
The government says it has awarded the design and construct contract for the job to remote power solutions company Circular Solutions, with works expected to be completed by April 2024. It estimates this will take the community’s energy mix to 50% renewables.
The move is part of the NT government’s broader push to deliver clean, reliable electricity to remote communities, including investing a further $2 million in the next two years on top of the existing $8.6 million Renewable Remote Power Program.
So far, the plan is to deliver renewable energy systems to 73 remote communities supplied by Indigenous Essential Services (IES).