Dive Brief:

• Vestas Wind Systems and Windlab are joining forces to develop a 60.2 MW hybrid power project in Queensland, Australia.

• The hybrid Kennedy Phase I project in Flinders Shire will feature 43.2 MW of Vestas wind turbines, 15 MW of solar panels and a 2 MW, 4 MWh lithium-ion battery, all managed by a Vestas customized control system.

• The project is planned as the first phase of Windlab’s 1,200 MW Kennedy Energy Park in Queensland.

Dive Insight:

Hybrid generation projects are beginning to take hold in a variety of locations and for a variety of applications. In the latest instance, Australia’s Windlab and turbine maker Vestas of Denmark have teamed up to combine wind and solar power with energy storage.

The partners say the aim of the project is to deliver a more constant and demand-driven energy production and increased capacity factor. The project will use a Vestas control system to provide the capability for wind and solar to work together as an integrated power plant and comply with grid requirements.

The Kennedy project “has the potential to leverage Australia’s abundant renewable energy resources and be a giant leap forward for the country in reaping those resources while ensuring a consistent and reliable electricity supply,” Clive Turton, president of Vestas Asia Pacific, said in a statement.