Horizon Power has announced its preferred contractor for the supply of electricity to the town of Esperance for 20 years, commencing in 2022.
West Australian based business, Contract Power Australia (CPA) was awarded the contract following a comprehensive and rigorous two-year, three-stage procurement process undertaken by Horizon Power.
Horizon Power CEO, Stephanie Unwin, said Horizon Power has been able to achieve a long-term power solution for Esperance which will include a new power station, battery storage system and renewables hub.
“This is an excellent outcome for our Esperance customers,” Ms Unwin said.
“The construction of a new, more efficient power station will reduce carbon emissions by almost 50 per cent per annum compared to the existing power supply arrangements. That’s the equivalent of removing 6458 cars off the road annually.
“A new renewables hub will be constructed as part of the project, bringing together solar and wind power to generate up to 46 per cent of Esperance’s electricity annually.”
Ms Unwin said the hubs would include a 4MW solar farm and two new wind turbines, each capable of generating 4.3MW of power.
Improvements in design and technology mean the new wind turbines will have more power and higher capacity, producing 58 per cent more wind power than the combined output of the existing six wind turbines.
The construction of the new solar farm will comprise of more than 10,000 solar panels, making it the largest solar farm in Horizon Power’s renewables portfolio.
“Horizon Power recognises the Esperance community’s strong support for renewable energy,” Ms Unwin said.
“Not only are we doubling the amount of renewable energy being provided to our customers, we will also be exploring, in consultation with the community, their interest in, and the possibility of, a future shared ownership model for the solar farm.”
Construction of the new assets is due to begin in September 2020, with commissioning scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.
Horizon Power will work with CPA, a subsidiary of Pacific Energy, to ensure, wherever possible, goods and services are procured from local businesses in the Goldfields Esperance region. “We are very excited about the short and long term benefits this new power solution will provide the Esperance community,” Ms Unwin said.
“CPA is very proactive in engaging with the communities where it works, and has set a target to source 15 per cent of new construction jobs from the Goldfields Esperance region.
“It’s really important that we partner with organisations such as CPA who share our commitment to create and support thriving communities.”
