Remote energy development specialist Pacific Energy has completed the installation of more than 16,000 solar panels installed at the new solar farm that forms part of a hybrid generation and storage system that will help power the town of Exmouth in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region.
QIC-owned Pacific has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with state-owned energy provider Horizon Power to supply the coastal town with up to 80% renewable energy.
Under the agreement, Pacific will build and operate a new hybrid system comprising 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 will be supplemented by a 7 MW gas-fired power station when necessary.
Pacific said the Exmouth Power Project is progressing well with the solar panels now installed and the battery units arriving onsite. The company said the solar farm’s mechanical works have also been completed and electrical works are well underway with the system on track to come online by mid-year.
Once operational, the solar and battery energy storage system is expected to supply up to 80% of the town’s power requirements.
Pacific said the energy-shifting battery system will provide Exmouth residents with access to renewable energy even after the sun sets, while hydrocarbons-off capability will allow the hybrid system to operate gas-free for extended periods.
The project is expected to offset nearly 14,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The introduction of the new hybrid system is the latest renewable energy initiative Horizon has rolled out in Exmouth, about 1,200 kilometres north of Perth and is part of a larger effort by the Western Australian government to decarbonise regional areas.
In 2024 the regional energy provider completed the deployment of its Smart Connect Solar program that allowed for an increase of rooftop solar connections across the town.
A year earlier Horizon 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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