Australia eyes creating its biggest virtual power plant

Energy Queensland and GreenSync will work on the project.

Energy Queensland’s Energy Services division is partnering with GreenSync Pty Ltd to create Australia’s biggest ‘virtual power plant’.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt officially launched the virtual power plant at the Powering North Queensland Summit in Townsville.

Pitt said the virtual power plant was a cloud-based, load control system created to manage extreme electricity demand during severe temperature events.

Energy Queensland’s executive general manager for Energy Services Charles Rattray said the long-term partnership between Energy Queensland and GreenSync would allow Energy Services to innovate and deliver the best possible solutions for customers.

“Energy Queensland’s Energy Services division was launched to lead new technology deployment to focus on putting downward pressure on costs for customers, improving security of supply and facilitating the uptake of renewable energy sources,” he said.

“We are seeking to manufacture some of the hardware required to deliver this new technology right here in Queensland. “Under this partnership, we are enrolling customers into the virtual power plant platform ahead of peak summer demand. This innovative approach will also increase network resilience through increased automation and speed of response, grouping assets as portfolios to react to challenges and seize opportunities.”

GreenSync CEO Phil Blythe said it was great to see Energy Queensland looking to technology to create innovative solutions for distributed energy across Queensland.

“The application of GreenSync’s technology is going underpin the broader strategy for Energy Queensland and set the foundation for their energy future,” he said.

“This is a significant project for the people of Queensland and we’re thrilled to be working with Energy Services. With the rise of solar and battery storage, this partnership is going to better harness distributed energy resources and deliver increased befits for the community and the grid as a whole.”