en.Wedoany.com Reported - Essential Energy has secured funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to deploy islandable renewable microgrids in the Far West region of New South Wales, enhancing energy resilience for remote communities on the edge of the grid. The funding, provided under ARENA's Regional Microgrids Program, will be used to build solar and battery microgrids serving approximately 403 customers in Wilcannia and around 697 customers in the Sunset Strip and Menindee areas.
Communities in the Far West region of New South Wales are more vulnerable to power outages due to geographic isolation, long-distance single-line network connections, and challenging fault recovery conditions. In Wilcannia, for example, electricity is supplied via a single line running from Broken Hill to Sunset Strip and Menindee (approximately 130 kilometers) and then to the town (another approximately 130 kilometers). Due to the complex terrain of one of the country's most remote areas, any unplanned outages on this line can sometimes be difficult to repair quickly. The proposed microgrids will be able to operate on solar and battery power during outages, helping to keep the lights on for Wilcannia, Sunset Strip, and Menindee when the broader network is affected.
Marc Thiebaut, Head of Strategy at Essential Energy, stated that the project aims to deliver practical renewable resilience where it is most needed—in remote communities where distance and network geography make outage restoration more complex. Thiebaut said the funding recognizes the importance of finding new ways to strengthen energy resilience in remote communities, and the proposed microgrids in Wilcannia and Sunset Strip/Menindee will help reduce the time customers are without power when the network is affected. This is a practical demonstration of how renewable energy technology can support reliability outcomes for communities in the Far West region of New South Wales.
Although microgrids have been used elsewhere in Australia for resilience and backup purposes, the Far West New South Wales projects are part of a proposed deployment that will be among the first in the National Electricity Market to combine network-owned renewable generation with islanding capability. Essential Energy has assessed grid load and fault conditions in Wilcannia and Sunset Strip/Menindee and is studying the best approach to rolling out the proposed microgrids. The Wilcannia microgrid will include a 3.25MW solar array and 8MWh battery, while the Sunset Strip/Menindee microgrid will include a 3.75MW solar array and 8MWh battery, designed to support enhanced energy resilience during unplanned outages. Construction and commissioning of the microgrids are expected to proceed in stages over the next year, with Essential Energy meeting with communities to discuss how the microgrids will work and the benefits of enhanced resilience.
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