Grupo Gransolar, an international business group in the development, construction, and supply of photovoltaic (PV) plant components, has been awarded the sole contract to carry out the 5 MW Dalby Hybrid Power Plant EPC. Located in the Dalby region of Queensland, Australia, the BESS facility will feature 2.7 MWdc of PVs and a 2.5 MW/5 MWh energy storage system. According to the company, once connected to the grid, the project will supply power to Ergon, a grid service provider in the region.
The plant's technical solution is designed to provide maximum flexibility with the ability to access the maximum number of markets and revenue streams, including arbitrage and FCAS services. Grupo Gransolar supplies the plant controller/energy management system, which has already been tested in different electricity systems and is capable of operating under different grid codes and providing different applications such as energy arbitrage, ancillary services and/or microgrid control, among others.
Carlos López, Managing Director of the company in Australia, explains that "Dalby Hybrid Power Plant is a very interesting and promising project for the Gransolar Group, which also comes at a time of consolidation and expansion in other business lines such as projects that hybridise PV and storage". He also highlighted the need to "build facilities that already integrate BESS systems; the future of renewables as a source of continuous generation involves hybridisation with storage".
In addition to being Gransolar's first hybrid project, Dalby Hybrid Power Plant is the first project in which the Group's four companies are involved; in addition to building the plant and installing the storage system, they will design the detailed engineering and supply the solar tracking structures and the integrated monitoring system. "Our differentiating element is that we are involved in the entire value chain, offering solutions that adapt to the needs of each customer and each project. We are working to take on more projects like Dalby's," concluded Mr. López.
Keeping with its commitment to creating jobs in the local communities where it operates, Gransolar reports that approximately 50 workers will be employed throughout the construction of the Dalby Hybrid Power Plant.
The Dalby Hybrid Power Plant is expected to be operating at full capacity by early 2022.
