Coober Pedy power project awarded

EDL’s Coober Pedy Hybrid Renewable Project has been awarded the 2019 Asian Power Awards’ Environmental Upgrade of the Year for transitioning the remote mining town from 100% diesel to up to 100% renewables.

Supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the project combines 4 MW wind generation, 1 MW solar generation, a 1 MW/500 kWh battery and other integration technologies with the original diesel power station as a backup.

“The Coober Pedy Hybrid Renewable Project sets a global benchmark for renewables in off-grid, remote communities and has already provided invaluable learnings for other hybrid renewable projects across the country,” EDL CEO James Harman said.

“This project highlights EDL’s role in supporting Australia’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Since the upgrade to hybrid renewable technology in July 2017, the power station has been operating more reliably than the original diesel generation-only configuration. From October 2018, the project has been supplying an average of more than 70% of the town’s power through renewable energy — giving Coober Pedy more reliable electricity supply at world-leading renewable energy penetration rates.

For more information about the project, visit www.edlenergy.com/project/coober-pedy/.

Image courtesy of EDL.