The Australian Government is seeking to boost renewable energy production in the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT), through an approach to market for a solar power generation plant.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (the department) will release a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) for a renewable electricity Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Through this process, the Government will test the market for construction of a solar power generating facility on Christmas Island to sell green electricity to the department equal to that produced from a one megawatt (MW) capacity plant.
The Australian Government recognises the IOT communities are seeking to have the majority of their energy requirements met via renewable sources by 2030, as outlined in the Our Christmas Island 2030 Strategic Plan and Our Cocos (Keeling) Islands 2030 Strategic Plan.
This approach to market demonstrates the Government's commitment to supporting the realisation of the goals in the CI Strategic Plan and will test private sector interest in investment in renewables in the IOT.
A one MW solar plant can be integrated into the existing power system with minimal impact and cost.
It will also complement smaller systems being installed under the recently revitalised IOT Renewable Energy Buy Back Scheme (see here
