The project will connect to the SA Power Networks distribution network at 11kV, with solar generation augmenting grid supply when network capacity falls short of the site’s peak demand.
The microgrid will be delivered for RRG Capital Management, a US-based private equity fund that began developing its South Australian almond investments in 2023 across more than 2,500 hectares of plantings.
AGL has structured the project as a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) under which it builds, owns, operates and maintains the assets and supplies power to Koompartu Farms, leaving the orchard’s management team free to focus on agricultural operations rather than energy infrastructure.
AGL general manager of sustainable business energy solutions, Brendan Weinart, said the project illustrates how tailored microgrid solutions can address the energy reliability demands of large-scale agribusiness.
“This is a first-of-its-kind project and has been designed to improve local grid capacity and provide the reliability needed to keep critical irrigation systems operating,” Weinart said.
