Desert Knowledge Australia will hold an open event on 15 April from 5.30pm to celebrate the end of the Alice Springs Future Grid project and publicly launch the Roadmap to 2030, including a sunset tour of the Solar Centre at the Desert Knowledge Precinct.
The Roadmap is one of the key outputs from Alice Springs Future Grid, a three-year whole of system project identifying the barriers to further deployment of renewable energy in the Alice Springs power system and finding solutions based on real-world trials, investigations, and modelling. It’s led by the Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy, on behalf of Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA), with project partners Ekistica, CSIRO, Power and Water, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy.
The report describes four scenarios that will get Alice Springs to the 50% renewable target by 2030, exploring different variables in the amount of central or decentralised renewable energy assets, and different operating modes for the existing gas generators. It also identifies the ‘least regrets’ options relevant across all scenarios and recommends the next best steps to move this work forward. There will need to be significant investment from private and public investors to carry out these plans, but this will be partly outweighed by the reduced use of conventional generation, the report says.
The current system was designed for conventional energy generation from diesel and gas, but the growing input of rooftop solar systems, currently estimated to be 23 MW, is leading to increased system volatility as a result of instantaneous renewable contribution exceeding 80% on a regular basis. If this continues without necessary upgrades, the reliability of the service will be at risk. And this is just to adapt to current levels of solar input, let alone to account for renewable levels of 50% and higher. Currently, Alice Springs is powered by 87% centralised fossil-fuel generation, 9% household-generated solar and 4% centralised renewable generation annually.
“This Roadmap recognises the challenges we face. It accepts that changes must be made and provides plausible pathways to the future,” says Lyndon Frearson, Project Director Alice Springs Future Grid, and Managnig Director of Ekistica. “The challenge for Alice Springs is not just its remoteness, but also the lack of alternative energy sources meaning that 50% renewables requires frequent operation of the power system at, or near, 100% instantaneous renewables.
“We think the Roadmap is a seminal piece of work that we hope many will be able to see and utilise both for the future of the Alice Springs power system but importantly for the future of power systems across the Territory and the rest of Australia.”
“This Roadmap makes it clear; the system has to change. Whilst we’ve set out four possible ways forward, we know that change will only happen through collaboration,” says Jimmy Cocking, CEO of Desert Knowledge Australia.
“The challenges we are facing as we move towards our goal of 50% renewable energy by 2030 are system challenges, and any solutions need to be system solutions. All the key players in the energy system, including consumers, worked together in new and inspiring ways as part of Alice Springs Future Grid, and this must continue if we’re to meet the challenges ahead. This is a real opportunity for Alice Springs to come together, build momentum and continue to demonstrate our place as global leaders in this field.”
- Executive summary (p.7)
- The recommended three phrases of transition (p.53)
- Priority actions for stakeholders (p.63)
» Read the Techno-Economic modelling report
» Explore further reports and results in the Knowledge Bank
Contact:
Lyndon Frearson, Alice Springs Future Grid Project Director, 0438 839 920, lyndon.frearson@ekistica.com.au
Jimmy Cocking, Desert Knowledge Australia CEO, 0423511931, jimmy.cocking@dka.com.au