Reliable power could be one step closer for the Mid West town of Mullewa, after planning authorities approved a small-scale renewable energy project.
Reliable power could be one step closer for the Mid West town of Mullewa, after planning authorities approved a small-scale renewable energy project.
A “breath of fresh air” is how City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune described the project for the town, which has long grappled with persistent power outages due to weather events and aging infrastructure.
The Regional Development Assessment Panel voted to approve the renewable energy facility at a meeting today, clearing the way for the proposed facility to be built on a more than 2-hectare site just out of town.
The developer, Sunrise Energy Group, is proposing to build a 1-megawatt solar farm, battery energy storage system, two wind turbines, an inverter, power line infrastructure and a microgrid connection point valued at $10 million.
The report said the intention to feed into the local network with the existing infrastructure would minimise the unreliability of the current system, for which there were no long-term solutions for improving energy reliability and amenity for Mullewa.
The small-scale renewable energy project would be built on land characterised as rural that is mainly used for various types of agriculture such as grazing and cropping.
Speaking at the JDAP meeting, Mayor Clune said anyone who knew Mullewa knew it enjoyed long, hot summers often coupled with unreliable electricity.
“So much so that the City has had to put its own portable power generation units in key strategic places in Mullewa because of the…unreliability of power,” he said.
“[Power] can be out for a number of days, not just a number of hours.
“So, this is like a breath of fresh air coming to Mullewa, it is seen as a critical place for unreliable power.
“If this development does go ahead and produces power, then the people of Mullewa will be more than happy.”
Deputy Mayor Natasha Colliver echoed her support for the project, describing the power reliability as “horrendous”.
She said the impact on the community and the liveability of the town was great.
“It also impacts heavily on businesses, there is a lack of confidence out there for businesses to operate,” she said in the meeting.
The proposal was approved unanimously.
Sunrise Energy Group managing director Neil Canby said the development approval marked a major milestone for the proposed project, ahead of securing further agreements with the likes of Western Power.
He said due to the high up-front capital costs, the company would be looking for a funding partner interested in a multi-project portfolio.
The proposed project was born from Sunrise Energy Group receiving $1.3 million in funding from the federal government for a microgrid feasibility study project in the Mid West town.
Mullewa has some of the most unreliable energy supply on the South West Interconnected System, according to the federal government's grant announcement.
“The town sits at the end of a 100km radial feeder with high line losses and unreliable power supply, particularly in the summer peak,” it read.
“The study will allow the community and investors to make informed decisions on implementing improved reliability in Mullewa.”
In February last year, Western Power announced it would spend $4 million on upgrading infrastructure in Mullewa to "help improve power reliability and enhance network resilience to major weather events".
About 340 poles and over 25km of conductors in the town and surrounding areas were set to be replaced, among other upgrades.
