Pacific Energy has installed 16,700 solar panels on a 9.6 MW solar farm that is part of a hybrid energy system in Exmouth, Western Australia.
Specialist in the field of remote energy development Pacific energy has completed the installation of more than 16,000 solar panels on the new solar farm which is part of a hybrid generation and storage system that will power the town of Exmouth in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
Pacific, owned by QIC, has signed a 20-year contract power purchase agreement with state energy supplier Horizon Power to supply the coastal town with up to 80% renewable energy.
Under the agreement, Pacific Energy will build and operate a new hybrid system consisting of the 9.6 MW solar farm and two battery energy storage systems with a combined capacity of 10 MW/49.6 MWh. The renewable energy sources are supplemented if necessary with a 7 MW gas power plant.
Pacific Energy said the Exmouth Power Project is progressing well with solar panels now installed and battery units arriving on site. The company said mechanical work on the solar farm has also been completed and electrical work is well underway and the system is on track to come online by mid-year.
Once operational, the solar and battery energy storage system is expected to be able to supply up to 80% of the city’s power needs.
Pacific Energy said the energy-shifting battery system will provide Exmouth residents with access to renewable energy even after the sun sets, while the ability to switch off hydrocarbons will allow the hybrid system to operate gas-free for longer periods.
The project is expected to offset nearly 14,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
The introduction of the new hybrid system is the latest renewable energy initiative that Horizon has rolled out in Exmouth, about 1,200 kilometers north of Perth, and is part of a larger effort by the Western Australian Government to decarbonize regional areas.
In 2024, the regional energy supplier completed its deployment Smart Connect solar energy program that enabled an increase in the number of solar energy connections on roofs in the city.
A year earlier, Horizon Power installed a 2.8 MW/4.5 MWh battery energy storage system in Exmouth to increase solar hosting capacity in the town.
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