Defence boosts energy security with 11 MW NT solar farm activated

The Department of Defence’s transition to renewable energy and improved energy security at its facilities marches on with the delivery of a 10.9 MW solar farm at Robertson Barracks, about 15 kilometres east of Darwin.

The Robertson Barracks solar farm comprises more than 27,000 solar panels mounted on a fixed tilt system. The project also includes a 2.5 MW battery energy storage system and will supply about 40% of the energy needs for the 700-hectare base.

Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the project also has wider benefit with excess solar power from the project to be fed into the Darwin grid, supplying renewable energy to households and businesses.

“This will take pressure off the local energy grid for Territorians and it will supply the energy needs of the base,” he said.

The Robertson Barracks solar farm was delivered as part of a power purchase agreement (PA) struck with infrastructure developer and financier Capella Capital in partnership with construction giant Lendlease. Lendlease delivered the engineering, procurement and construction works of the project, and will also operate and maintain the system.

The PPA also encompasses a 3.2 GW solar farm at RAAF Base Darwin that was launched earlier this year.

Thistlethwaite said both projects are part of the $64 million (USD 42.2 million) Defence Renewable Energy and Energy Security Program that is looking at investments in solar and batteries and renewables in the NT, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.

“Ensuring that we can maintain energy security through renewable energy projects such as this is really important to the capability and the protection of our nation into the future,” he said, adding that Defence is the largest landowner in Australia, with 70 bases across the country.

“So it makes sense to make sure that we’re investing in renewable energy projects,” he said.

Thistlethwaite said a 1.4 MW solar farm being developed at Harts Range in the NT is almost completed and will come online later this year.

“We’re doing exploratory work at the moment at Tindal as well, and other bases such as Learmonth and Curtin in Western Australia and in Edinburgh in South Australia are being looked at,” he said.