AGL Energy has recently completed a renewable energy park for Kerarbury, an almond farm in Griffith, New South Wales, owned by Rural Funds Group and operated by ofi (olam food ingredients).
The project, which includes 10,250 solar panels (5.99 megawatts) and a 2293 kilowatts/4586 kilowatts-hour battery system, is set to generate up to 14 megawatts-hour of power annually, significantly reducing reliance on grid electricity and diesel.
Ryan Warburton, AGL Group General Manager of Electrification and Innovation, highlighted the partnership as part of AGL’s broader commitment to supporting agribusinesses in their transition to renewable energy.
“This will be AGL’s third major system built for almond industry clients. Each system is designed and built to meet the specific needs of each farm. AGL will operate and maintain the system over a 20-year partnership, allowing ofi to focus on almond production at Kerarbury,” he said.
“They’ll achieve high renewable energy penetration of nearly 83 percent, from the over 10,000 solar panels and battery, reducing reliance on grid energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions annually.”
The solar panels are equipped with a single-axis tracking system, allowing them to follow the sun throughout the day for optimised energy generation, particularly during peak summer months when demand is highest.
In addition to powering Kerarbury, the energy produced will connect to AGL’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP), allowing excess electricity to be fed back into the grid.
AGL’s VPP, which manages 296MW of commercial solar and battery assets, plays a crucial role in stabilising the electricity network.
The project is now physically complete and commissioned, with final network approvals pending before it begins full operation.
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