❓ The Minister for Energy provides an update on his visit to Onslow and the new energy infrastructure approach, highlighting the Chevron-funded power station upgrade to a distributed energy system using gas, solar, and battery technology. He also mentions similar initiatives in other regional areas.
AnsweredQoN 835Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ENERGY — INFRASTRUCTURE — ONSLOW
835. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Energy:
Can the minister please update the
house on his recent visit to Onslow and the new approach to energy
infrastructure in the region?
835. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Energy:
Can the minister please update the
house on his recent visit to Onslow and the new approach to energy
infrastructure in the region?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West
Central for the question, and thank him for going to Onslow and Karratha with
me the other day. As members know, Horizon Power has a very large network—2.5
million square kilometres and 47 000 customers. It is probably the most
extensive and sparsely populated energy network in the world. It covers an area
with very high costs. I have directed Horizon Power to become one of the world's
leading distributed energy firms in the world, and it is on the way to do that.
One of the key pieces of
infrastructure is Onslow power station. As members know, Chevron committed to
build a nine megawatt gas-fired power station. I think about $106 million was
allocated to it. It was delayed for a while because of progress at the
Wheatstone project. That gave Horizon Power and the government a chance to go
back and try to optimise it using modern renewable energy technology. We
renegotiated and we entered into an agreement with Chevron. I congratulate
Chevron for committing to this power station and congratulate the various
departments involved in overseeing the agreements. The old power station was a nine
megawatt gas‑fired power station. Chevron agreed to allocate the money to
Horizon Power, and Horizon Power would guarantee the adequate amount of
electricity. Horizon Power is building its 5.25 megawatt gas-fired power
station and providing the rest by solar energy, through a solar farm and solar panels
on the buildings, backed up by batteries. When finished, it will be the largest
distributed energy system in the world. There are some complications with that
because once we rely heavily on solar—we expect to get between 50 to 70
per cent of the energy from solar, including from batteries of course—we
have to address all sorts of technological things. For instance, when it is
cloudy, the frequency in the system changes. Algorithms are needed to predict
it and then alter and adjust it. We also need various incentives for people who
rent and do not own their own homes to take up solar energy. Our plan is to
make sure that we have blanket coverage of solar panels across all the
buildings in the township. There are a lot of complicated aspects of that measure.
We will learn from this, and it will be cost effective from the get-go, which
is very unique.
As members know, this is not all we
are doing. We are planning a distributed energy system in Kalbarri to address
the problems with that, particularly the long lines and large numbers of people
who are periodically in that vacation spot. Both Western Power and Horizon
Power are rolling out experiments, which have been successful to date, of
standalone power to replace end-of-grid situations. We have it in Ravensthorpe,
Jerramungup and Ongerup. We are also doing it in four to five different areas
around Esperance. In high cost areas in Western Australia we are using
renewable energy when it is cost effective. We are experimenting with it and
learning how to use it, and when the technology changes and the price continues
to come down, we will roll out that technology in the south west interconnected
system. It is world leading and world beating. That is what this government
does.
Central for the question, and thank him for going to Onslow and Karratha with
me the other day. As members know, Horizon Power has a very large network—2.5
million square kilometres and 47 000 customers. It is probably the most
extensive and sparsely populated energy network in the world. It covers an area
with very high costs. I have directed Horizon Power to become one of the world's
leading distributed energy firms in the world, and it is on the way to do that.
One of the key pieces of
infrastructure is Onslow power station. As members know, Chevron committed to
build a nine megawatt gas-fired power station. I think about $106 million was
allocated to it. It was delayed for a while because of progress at the
Wheatstone project. That gave Horizon Power and the government a chance to go
back and try to optimise it using modern renewable energy technology. We
renegotiated and we entered into an agreement with Chevron. I congratulate
Chevron for committing to this power station and congratulate the various
departments involved in overseeing the agreements. The old power station was a nine
megawatt gas‑fired power station. Chevron agreed to allocate the money to
Horizon Power, and Horizon Power would guarantee the adequate amount of
electricity. Horizon Power is building its 5.25 megawatt gas-fired power
station and providing the rest by solar energy, through a solar farm and solar panels
on the buildings, backed up by batteries. When finished, it will be the largest
distributed energy system in the world. There are some complications with that
because once we rely heavily on solar—we expect to get between 50 to 70
per cent of the energy from solar, including from batteries of course—we
have to address all sorts of technological things. For instance, when it is
cloudy, the frequency in the system changes. Algorithms are needed to predict
it and then alter and adjust it. We also need various incentives for people who
rent and do not own their own homes to take up solar energy. Our plan is to
make sure that we have blanket coverage of solar panels across all the
buildings in the township. There are a lot of complicated aspects of that measure.
We will learn from this, and it will be cost effective from the get-go, which
is very unique.
As members know, this is not all we
are doing. We are planning a distributed energy system in Kalbarri to address
the problems with that, particularly the long lines and large numbers of people
who are periodically in that vacation spot. Both Western Power and Horizon
Power are rolling out experiments, which have been successful to date, of
standalone power to replace end-of-grid situations. We have it in Ravensthorpe,
Jerramungup and Ongerup. We are also doing it in four to five different areas
around Esperance. In high cost areas in Western Australia we are using
renewable energy when it is cost effective. We are experimenting with it and
learning how to use it, and when the technology changes and the price continues
to come down, we will roll out that technology in the south west interconnected
system. It is world leading and world beating. That is what this government
does.
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