21/02/2023 

The Albanese Labor Government will invest 380,000 per year and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,793 tonnes per annum.

The expanded commitment announced today will see the delivery of two large-scale renewable energy projects at Robertson Barracks in the Northern Territory and the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia.

Additional projects will increase resilience at Defence bases and reduce dependency on fuel supply chains for backup power generation at:

• RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, Larrakeyah Barracks, and Harts Range in the Northern Territory;
• RAAF Bases Curtin and Learmonth and the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station in Western Australia; and
• Woomera Range Complex in South Australia.

Design work will also commence for a solar system at the Russell Headquarters complex in the ACT.

Renewable energy and storage will be achieved through:

• installation of renewable systems to diversify supply and increase energy independence;
• battery storage systems to increase energy resilience and power quality;
• piloting of microgrid projects to complement existing base electrical networks, to reduce reliance on diesel fuel; and
• investigating and managing risks associated with new technology and electrical systems, including cyber security and electromagnetic interference.

Minister Thistlethwaite said the delivery of program works generates positive environmental and economic benefits to local communities.

"The program will support jobs and small businesses in regional communities through delivery, preparation and installation and maintenance as we anticipate their participation in the preparation and delivery of program works," Minister Thistlethwaite said.

Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling welcomed the investment in the Northern Territory.

"The Territory has abundant sunlight and it's great we're able to harness it to help meet the energy needs of our Defence force," he said.

"It's crucial that our personnel have secure, independent and uninterrupted power supplies, and this renewable energy investment will help to achieve that."