Off-grid power specialist Pacific Energy has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-owned regional energy provider Horizon Power to deliver a renewables-based power system to Menzies in Western Australia’s northern Goldfields, aiming to deliver up to 80% of the town’s energy demand by 2027.
The new system, to be designed, built and operated by Perth-based Pacific Energy, will combine 409 kW of solar generation and 2.8 MWh of battery energy storage.
The solar array and battery system will be capable of delivering approximately 80% of the total power supply for the small northern Goldfields town, with diesel generation used as backup when required.
Construction of the new system, to be built about 280 metres south of the existing power station, is scheduled to begin later this year with first power from the new system expected to be delivered to the Menzies community in 2027.
Menzies’ current power supply is primarily generated from diesel-fuelled assets that Horizon said have reached end of life.
Horizon Chief Executive Officer Krystal Skinner said replacing this infrastructure with a new hybrid renewable energy system will improve reliability, reduce emissions and support the town’s long-term energy needs.
“The new hybrid renewable system in Menzies will deliver high levels of renewable energy penetration,” she said.
“By replacing ageing infrastructure with modern, fit‑for‑purpose solutions, we’re ensuring towns can meet future residential and industrial growth, while supporting greater uptake of customer-led energy solutions, such as solar and batteries.”
Western Australian Mines Minister David Michael said Menzies’ shift to renewables mirrors the efforts of other remote communities and off-grid operations in the region.
“The region is already leading the way in carbon emissions reduction with several new mines using solar and wind energy with battery storage to run up to 100% of their power requirements on renewable sources,” he said.
“Domestic energy users are joining the transition as we convert more towns in the Goldfields to predominantly renewable sources, supported by battery storage.”
The Menzies microgrid project is just the latest for Horizon which services one of the most expansive electricity grids in the world – a 2.3 million m2 area that covers much of the state.
As part of its role, it operates 38 microgrids in some of the most isolated and remote communities in the world, many of them still powered by a combination of gas and diesel fuel, but that is changing – both in line with state targets for a 100% renewable grid by 2030 and because the economics of technologies like solar and batteries are outstripping traditional generation sources.
Pacific Energy is also building a 2.4 MW solar farm and 9.9 MWh battery in the Goldfields town of Leonora, while a system comprising a 9.6 MW solar farm and 10 MW / 49.6 MWh of battery energy storage that will help power the town of Exmouth in the state’s Gascoyne region is nearing completion.
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