Hybrid Project in Australia: Agnew - Gold Field

Among SMA's latest projects, SMA delivered the PV and battery inverters with advanced voltage source control for EDL's Agnew Hybrid Renewable Project at Gold Fields' Agnew Gold Mine in Australia. The landmark project proved not only that a microgrid control system can be successfully implemented on a large-scale power project, but that renewable generation and advanced control of the storage inverter can actually be a stabilising element, as opposed to what some may think. "The System acts as a back-up in case of generator failure, and can avoid blackouts" explains Mohamed Mostafa, Head of Industrial Storage Solutions at SMA Solar Technology AG. The Agnew Hybrid Renewable Project has delivered Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy microgrid, which provides the mine with more than 50% renewable energy over the long term, without compromising power quality or reliability. The microgrid comprises 18MW wind generation, 21MW gas/diesel engine power plant, 13MW/4MWh battery system and a 4 MW Single Axis Tracking PV installation together with cloud forecasting and an advanced microgrid control system to enable integration with the mine off-grid network. The microgrid will supply reliable electricity to the critical and non-critical loads of the mine site. Images courtesy of EDL.