GET Grant Program to fund technologies that strengthen Australia’s electricity grid
Aurecon is the technical advisor for the Australian Government's $30 million GET Grant Program, funding 14 projects to enhance energy grid resilience.
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Asia Pacific engineering consultancy Aurecon is supporting the implementation of an Australian-first renewable energy project that will transform how a remote Northern Territory community accesses sustainable and affordable electricity.
The Borroloola community’s Ngardara Solar Microgrid Project in the Northern Territory is an innovative model of utility-scale, First Nations community-owned renewable energy, with design and development co-led by Original Power and the Borroloola community’s Ngardara Cooperative as owner.
Once operational, the project is anticipated to support the community meeting up to 80% of its electricity needs through renewables and will reduce diesel generation consumption by approximately 1.2 million litres annually. Through the benefit-sharing model, revenue generated from the microgrid will be returned to the community, with solar credits applied to household prepayment meters to cut household electricity costs by up to 50% and deliver energy security for residents.
The project brings together Ngardara Cooperative, Original Power and Northern Territory energy utilities in an off-grid energy arrangement that governs how the solar-generated energy is generated, dispatched and paid for.
Aurecon’s decarbonisation and power systems teams are providing independent technical and commercial analysis of the energy arrangement to enable the Ngardara project team to validate the model’s structure and implementation.
“We’re supporting the Ngardara Solar Microgrid Project team to validate the energy arrangement by quantifying and assessing risks and opportunities associated with dispatch variability in an off-grid environment,” Aurecon Managing Director Energy Paul Gleeson said.
“We’re also sharing our experience of reviewing and engineering other similar off-grid microgrid projects across Australia that deliver meaningful economic outcomes alongside emissions reduction.
“The Ngardara Solar Microgrid Project is a great example of reducing energy costs, improving sustainability and bolstering energy security all in one,” Gleeson added.
Aurecon is providing pro bono support for this project through its Handprints corporate social investment program, which supports First Nations communities, as well as other initiatives relating to clean water and sanitation, STEM educational pathways, climate resilience, and safe, affordable and sustainable infrastructure.
The project reflects a growing number of off-grid energy systems as decreasing renewable technology costs and rising diesel prices make solar and battery solutions increasingly viable in regional and remote areas.
It also highlights the growing role of decentralised energy systems in improving resilience and reducing exposure to fuel supply disruptions and market volatility.
The project has been awarded $8.347 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), paving the way to unlock the private and philanthropic investment needed to achieve financial close on the $19 million project.
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Aurecon is the technical advisor for the Australian Government's $30 million GET Grant Program, funding 14 projects to enhance energy grid resilience.
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