NT Defence solar farm finally operational after years of setbacks

First Solar Farm in Northern Territory Finally Opens

The long-awaited opening of the first solar farm in the Northern Territory has finally taken place this week. After facing strict conditions on solar farm projects in the region, the 3.2 MW solar farm at the RAAF Base Darwin is now operational. The project, consisting of 9,000 solar panels, began tender in 2017 and was initially expected to be completed by 2020. Assistant Minister for Defence, Matt Thistlethwaite, also announced that two other solar farms at Robertson Barracks and Hart’s Range, both under the Department of Defence, will open later this year.

While most of these facilities will primarily power the buildings themselves, it is interesting to note that the excess power generated by the RAAF Base Darwin solar farm will be fed into the grid. However, for four other utility-scale solar farms in Manton, Batchelor, and Katherine, adding power to the grid has become a challenging task due to additional regulations imposed after their completion in 2020. These solar farms have either been idle or producing only a small amount of power.

The strict rules governing bidding behavior and dispatch have prevented most solar farms from connecting to the grid, requiring them to rely on large batteries to manage the flow of energy. Furthermore, the geographical proximity of the RAAF base and Robertson Barracks to Darwin has made energy transportation relatively easy, unlike the solar farms located further out in Manton, Batchelor, and Katherine.

A report by RenewEconomy highlights that one of the main issues is the limited capacity of the transmission line between Darwin and Katherine. The line is described as “skinny” and lacks sufficient capacity to accommodate the growing demand for energy. The 2020 Electricity Outlook Report from the NT Utilities Commission emphasizes the need for urgent attention to protect the long-term interests of Territory electricity consumers, given the small, isolated nature of the power systems in the region.

While the RAAF base’s ability to contribute a small amount of power to the grid is a positive development, RenewEconomy has reached out to NT Minister for Energy, Kate Worden, for further comments on the matter.