Daintree Microgrid Project
Daintree Microgrid Project
A solar based (with hydrogen storage) microgrid for the Daintree region in far north Queensland is under development.
| Main proponents:
Volt Advisory Group (federal capital works grant recipient) |
Main end-use classification:
Microgrid / regional applications |
Status:
Under development
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Estimated cost:
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| Other involvement:
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Production details:
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Location:
Queensland, Australia |
Announced funding:
Feasibility study: AUD$990,150 – Federal Government Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund. Grant recipient Daintree Renewable Energy Pty Ltd. Capital works grant:
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Project description
The World Heritage-Listed Daintree Rainforest region in northern Queensland has no or limited mains electricity supply. Residents of the area use diesel generators or solar power and battery storage, or a combination of both.
Solar panels are not viable for all residents due to shading issues and in the wet season the lack of sunshine means diesel generators must be used. It is estimated that the Daintree area uses around four million litres of diesel per annum to generate power.
In March 2022, the Federal Government announced an award of AUD$18.75 million over three years (under the Daintree Microgrid Program) to Volt Advisory Group to support development of a renewable energy microgrid for the Daintree region.
This award follows a feasibility study supported through a AUD$990,150 grant (announced November 2019) awarded to Daintree Renewable Energy Pty Ltd (an entity not related to Volt Advisory) under the Federal Government’s Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund.
The Daintree Microgrid Project would convert excess energy generated from existing and new solar panels into hydrogen via electrolysis. The hydrogen produced would be stored, to be used to generate electricity during unfavourable conditions (thereby reducing reliance on diesel generation). It is reported the Daintree Microgrid Project would incorporate an 8 MW solar farm, 20 MWh of battery storage and a 1 MW clean hydrogen plant.
In February 2024, the Douglas Shire Council gave notice of development planning approval (subject to conditions) to the Daintree Microgrid Project.
The submitted development application materials and decision notice can be accessed through the Douglas Shire Council Development Applications website – Application No. CA2023_5496 / Date Lodged 25/08/2023.
Also accessible via the Douglas Shire Council Development Applications website is a clarification letter submitted by Environment Pacific Pty Ltd, in response to concerns raised by CSIRO to them and Volt Advisory Pty Ltd, in relation to references made to CSIRO in the development application materials.
For further clarification, CSIRO notes it was not engaged by Volt Advisory to provide consulting services in respect to the Daintree Microgrid Project and CSIRO had no role in developing any of the Daintree renewable microgrid technologies.
Updated: August 2024