Mossman microgrid pilot project a first for the state

A new microgrid power project is being built in the Mossman Gorge area, which energy company Ergon says is the first of its kind in the state.

The high-voltage, network-connected microgrid is designed to boost reliability, power quality and community resilience, Ergon renewables general manager Glenn Springall said.

The centrepiece of the pilot project was a network-connected battery that could help provide power to the greater Mossman community during outages, he said.

“This project is the first of its kind in Queensland,” Mr Springall said.

“The battery will be a backup when grid supply isn’t available during planned and unplanned outages, including after severe weather events that cause damage to the upstream network.

“We are working with the community to maximise the benefits of the microgrid, which we aim to have up and running by the end of the year,” he said. 

Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation chief executive Joe Morrison said the new microgrid would help First Nations communities achieve more sustainability and other cultural goals.

“As landowners of the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, where the microgrid will be built, we support projects like the microgrid that provide benefits to both community and the environment,” Mr Morrison said.

The Mossman Gorge community is ideal for the microgrid pilot project because it is small, has a source of surplus solar power, and is located at the end of the line from the Mossman substation, an Ergon statement reads.

Ergon engineer Sophie Allen said the microgrid could disconnect from the main grid where necessary.