Oz APA Makes Hybrid Energy Microgrid Investment

Australian energy infrastructure firm, APA Group December 8 announced its first hybrid energy microgrid investment.

The company announced a two-phased power expansion agreement with an existing customer, Gruyere Gold Mine, in Western Australia, which will increase total installed capacity by 45% from 45MW to 64MW. The agreement includes the creation of the Gruyere Hybrid Energy Microgrid - APA’s first hybrid energy microgrid investment. Total capital expenditure for the expansion work will come to about A$38mn. 

Under the first phase, APA will expand the Gruyere power station by installing a twelfth reciprocating gas-fired engine. Work is currently underway on this expansion, which is expected to be commissioned in mid-2021, it said.

The Gruyere Gold Mine is a 50:50 joint venture between Gold Road Resources and Gruyere Mining Company and is an existing customer of APA for both gas transportation and gas power generation.

In the second phase, APA will build, own and operate a 13MWp solar farm backed up by a 4.4MW/4.4MWh battery energy storage system. APA’s microgrid will utilise a hybrid control system that combines cloud and weather forecasting, battery control and the existing reciprocating engine control systems to optimise efficiency and maximise the use of renewable generation. The Gruyere Microgrid is expected to be commissioned in Q4 2021.

“When completed, APA will provide renewable energy supported by battery storage, underpinned by the reliability of gas-fired power to the Gruyere Gold Mine. Gas will continue to be supplied on a take-or-pay basis by APA’s interconnected gas pipeline network,” the company said.

The company said that the Gruyere power station expansion complements its recent announcement of the soon to be constructed Northern Gas Interconnect pipeline that will create a Western Australia gas grid which includes 2,690-km of APA interconnected pipelines running north to south and west to east across the state.