This report details the progress of the Garden Island Microgrid Project to be the world’s first wave energy integrated microgrid that will produce both power and desalinated water.
Report extract
In August 2016, ARENA and Carnegie Clean Energy Limited (then called Carnegie Wave Energy Limited) entered into an Advancing Renewables Programme Funding Agreement to support the Garden Island Microgrid Project.
The Garden Island Microgrid Project included the design, construction and start of operations of a 2MW solar PV installation and 2MW/0.5MWh battery energy storage system on Garden Island, the location of Department of Defence’s Fleet Base West/HMAS Stirling. The project includes the option for wave energy to be incorporated into the microgrid along with the desalination plant previously installed in parallel with the Perth Wave Energy Project.
The Project commenced operations in 2019 after experiencing numerous delays due to a variety of factors both internal and external to Carnegie. The Garden Island Microgrid was constructed and commissioned but then had to wait longer than scheduled for final sign offs by Western Power and Department of Defence. The system received Defence’s final approval and commenced operations in August 2019. A great deal of the critical knowledge sharing activities occurred during this process of constructing, commissioning and receiving Defence and Western Power Approval to Operate.