Kalbarri microgrid delayed again after cyclone Seroja

A long delayed renewable microgrid to power Kalbarri in the event of a network outage is facing yet another setback from cyclone Seroja, in a major blow to traders and residents who were hit by ongoing blackouts before the weather event. The microgrid, which can run independently or connect to the main electricity network, would maintain supply to Kalbarri using solar and wind, and stored energy in a 5MW utility-scale battery. First announced in 2016 by former Liberal energy minister Mike Nahan, the multimillion dollar project is still not online. It stalled after Carnegie Clean Energy, the owner of joint venture partner Energy Made Clean, went into administration. A Western Power spokesperson on Wednesday said the plan was to commission the microgrid through May and June this year but “the recent cyclone has impacted this timeline”. “Western Power’s latest update to the community communicated that the battery energy storage system would be online by June 2021 however the impact of Seroja on the network will delay commissioning,” they said. “We have had challenges associated with the loss of a key delivery partner and finding an alternative ... partner.” The spokesperson said preliminary reports suggested only minor damage from Seroja had impacted the microgrid, which is physically and electrically complete. It comes as Kalbarri business owners say power will be the key to their livelihoods in the coming months. Around 22,500 homes and businesses across the Mid West and Central Wheatbelt regions were still without power as of 4.30pm Wednesday after 170km/h winds from Seroja hit late on Sunday. Kalbarri tour operator Guy Acosta and his wife Christina said the future of their yoga retreat — the first organised in Kalbarri through a partnership with operators in Perth — would hinge on access to power. It was slated to run at the end of this month. “If we don’t have electricity until next week it’s impossible for us to run any activities in Kalbarri — it’s as simple as that,” Ms Acosta said. It’s not their first rodeo. A power outage in January this year left around 1300 Kalbarri homes and businesses without electricity for 16 hours. Traders, some of whom reported losing thousands of dollars as a result of the outage, at the time raised concerns that an unreliable power supply could tarnish the town’s reputation with tourists. Kalbarri’s electricity is supplied by a 120km-long feeder line from Geraldton that is exposed to the elements, making it prone to power outages. Dongara, 220km south of Kalbarri, and Geraldton also experienced ongoing power outages before the cyclone. Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Joanne Fabling said the State Government should draw up a masterplan for securing power to the region if it was to remain an attractive tourist destination. “The one line in, one line out system has been holding us back,” Ms Fabling, who is based in Geraldton, said. “It’s essential we have a robust, reliable power supply.”