Enwave to develop Australia’s first industrial solar-powered microgrid at Peel Business Park
The Government of Western Australia announced on September 12 that a consortium led by Enwave Australia was appointed to develop Australia’s first ever industrial renewable energy microgrid at the Peel Business Park in Nambeelup. The project is a first of its kind in Australia in an industrial setting and it is expected to create thousands of jobs.
Part of the multi-million-dollar Transform Peel project, Peel Business Park in Nambeelup is a strategically located industrial estate designed with a focus on agri-innovation and sustainability, and it has the potential to inject around $1 billion into the State’s economy each year.
The microgrid will use a solar farm and battery storage with electricity supplemented from the Western Power grid when required, to power the 120-hectare lot within the Park.
The microgrid is an innovative solution to the high costs of extending the mains grid into the estate, and will speed up the development of industrial land and development opportunities for the Business Park. It will also make possoble to create 1862 jobs in the first 120ha lot, with a further 2,000 local jobs once the park is fully built out. Additionally, the microgrid will offer businesses looking to relocate into the Park a saving of around 30 per cent off their yearly power bills.
Furthermore, to meet the increasing power needs of the Peel Business Park as it grows, the operator can lease roof space from businesses to install a network of solar panels that will feed additional energy into the microgrid.
The microgrid can also be increased in size and is expected to extend beyond LandCorp‘s current landholding within the Peel Business Park with potential uptake from interested neighbouring landowners.
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said:
“The Peel Business Park in Nambeelup is being created for forward-thinking businesses and this next generation thinking is reflected in the Park’s proposed microgrid. The microgrid offers clear incentives for businesses to relocate to the Peel Business Park, helping to drive job creation in the Peel region. The Peel Business Park and Transform Peel are part of the McGowan Government’s commitment to driving industry diversification, investment and job opportunities in our regional centres.”
Lands Minister Ben Wyatt commented:
“The McGowan Government’s vision for the Peel Business Park is a place where business, industry, training, research and development come together, invigorating the Peel region and creating jobs that cannot be achieved without providing a secure and affordable power supply. In planning the microgrid project, it has been estimated that the renewable energy mix will help reduce power usage costs to business by around 30 per cent off regulated bundled energy tariffs. This is a smart, sustainable solution for a broader project that will be built on innovation.”
Source: News announcement by Government of Western Australia. Image Credit: CBRE Group, Inc.
