Juwi Scores Points with Wind and Solar Energy for another Hybrid Power Plant in Australia

Wörrstadt, Germany / Brisbane, Australia - Hybrid generation solutions offer the potential to significantly reduce fossil fuel generation in pristine environments. At the same time, they reliably produce electricity at competitive costs.

Juwi Renewable Energy Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Juwi AG, and the Perth-based energy service provider Contract Power have signed an agreement for the construction of the wind and solar park as part of a hybrid solution, which is expected to meet up to half of annual electricity demand of the town of Esperance in the state of Western Australia in the southwest of the country. Contract Power will be the operator of the hybrid power plant. The project is scheduled to be operational in early 2022. The hybrid project will consist consist of a renewable energy hub which will include a 4 megawatt solar farm combined with two 4.5 megawatt wind turbines integrated with a lithium ion battery system and gas generators. The generated electricity will be distributed by Horizon Power, a utility owned by the Western Australian government that supplies electricity to communities throughout Western Australia.

The Esperance project is Juwi's fourth hybrid project in Australia. To date, Juwi has developed hybrid renewable energy solutions for three other Australian customers: For the Degrussa gold and copper mine, the Agnew mine and a research centre on Heron Island.

The construction of hybrid power plants for off-grid industries, such as mines, is an important growth segment for Juwi, along with the development and operation of wind and solar parks. In these projects, the PV or wind power plants, including the storage units, are intelligently integrated into existing island grids using "Juwi Hybrid IQ" software developed by Juwi. Stephen Hansen, juwi Board member responsible for international business, said juwi has already proved what renewable energy solutions can achieve through its world-renowned DeGrussa project and continues to build on this accomplishment. “Our customers benefit from our comprehensive service portfolio that supports our clients at every stage, from project development and commissioning to the operation and maintenance of their systems,” Hansen added.

Source: IWR Online, 29 May 2020