FAQs

The $50.4 million Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund - Microgrids will run over five years from 2019-20 to 2023-24. The program was announced by the Australian Government as a measure in the 2019 Budget to support feasibility studies into more reliable, secure and cost effective energy supply to regional and remote communities in Australia.
 

The program will fund feasibility studies looking at microgrid technologies to replace, upgrade or supplement existing electricity supply arrangements in off-grid and fringe-of grid communities located in regional and remote areas. This will be achieved through:
 

• improved regional business, community services and emergency resilience through innovative microgrid solutions
  
   
• scaled-up and improved microgrid systems in regional and remote communities
  
   
• increased human capital (skills/knowledge) in the design and deployment of microgrids
  
   
• demonstrated commerciality and/or reliability and security benefits of deploying and upgrading microgrids
  
   
• reduced barriers to microgrid uptake in remote and regional communities
  
   
• increased dissemination of technology and/or project knowledge regarding the deployment and upgrading of microgrids.

TasNetworks and our partners (University of Technology Sydney, Redback Technologies and the Australian Power Institute) were awarded a $1.6 million grant as part of this fund for undertaking a study for the Derwent Bridge community.

Currently, Derwent Bridge Substation is supplied by a single circuit 110-kV line. The 110-kV line tees off from Butlers Gorge switching station. The line is 16.3 km long and was commissioned in 1939 making it 80 years old.  It is estimated that the existing infrastructure could be utilised for the next ten years.  

There are existing power quality and reliability issues in the area. This study will explore the possibility of using an off grid microgrid vs the costs of upgrading the lines.  As a budding tourism hotspot and stopover to Tasmania’s west coast, Derwent Bridge relies on a reliable power supply to support the local community and increasing electric vehicle charging loads. 

 As there is a low availability of solar in this region, this project will investigate the feasibility of a microgrid comprised of mini pumped hydro, battery energy storage, thermal storage and electrical vehicle charging systems.

A microgrid is a small network or community of electricity users with a local power generation source which may or may not be connected to the mains grid system or other microgrid systems.  A microgrid can be powered by distributed generators, batteries, or renewable resources like solar panels and wind turbines. Depending on how it is powered and how its requirements are managed, a microgrid can run indefinitely.

A microgrid generally operates while connected to the grid however, importantly it can break off and operate on its own using local energy generation. It has a single point of connection with the grid with a monitoring and control platform used to coordinate the supply and demand of the customers connected to the microgrid. This also helps to maintain grid stability.

Should the feasibility study show that a microgrid would be more technically and economically feasible for Derwent Bridge than upgrading the existing lines, it would improve the resiliency of power supply, thereby assisting the local businesses. However, the study must first prove that the Derwent Bridge microgrid project is worthy of pursuit from both a technical and economic viewpoint.

The $1.6 million in funding will be used to undertake research, technical studies, community engagement and simulations over the next three years.

TasNetworks are leading this project with assistance from Researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney (specialising in innovative power supply systems) and

Redback Technologies – a technology company focused on helping Australian households and small businesses affordably generate their own renewable energy.

That’s really up to you.   We’d love to keep in touch and understand your views on the future vision of electricity supplies in the area.   This could be in the form of interviews and surveys from time to time.  We can do this via phone calls, personal visits, email or webinar – we’ll work in with you to find the best way to engage so you can have your say.

A decision will be made on whether a microgrid is more economically and technically feasible than upgrading the current electrical system.  The research will be used to help make decisions for other remote communities around Australia.

To view the list of all the 2020/21 grant recipients visit: https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/regional-and-remote-communities-reliability-fund-microgrids/grant-recipients-2020-21

We will install monitoring equipment on our network to assist us with the research required to undertake this project.  We don’t anticipate that this work will affect your current power supply.   However, if this changes we will contact you to let you know.  

You can contact TasNetworks' engagement team on engage@tasneworks.com.au