I’ve been reading more lately about how electricity is supplied to Queensland’s most remote communities, and the deeper I dig, the more interesting it gets.
Ergon Energy operates 33 isolated power stations and networks that supply 39 communities scattered across western Queensland, Cape York, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the Torres Strait.
Off the main grid
These systems are completely independent of the National Electricity Market. They’re self-contained microgrids, sometimes serving just a hundred people.
It’s a reminder that for many Queenslanders, the grid isn’t some abstract thing far away…its sitting right at the edge of their town.
Most of these communities have relied on diesel power for decades. Across all sites, Ergon manages around 46 MW of centralised diesel generation, with a growing share of renewables (1 MW of Ergon-owned solar and 4 MW of customer installations).
Annual demand ranges from 425 MWh on Stephen’s Island to over 3 GWh on Thursday Island.
A whole different engineering challenge
On the main grid, the focus is often on maintaining power quality and frequency. In these isolated networks, the challenge shifts toward stability and minimum demand.
Too much solar feeding in at the wrong time can cause instability, so Ergon uses dynamic solar PV connections to control how much renewable energy is accepted into the system as conditions change.
Projects like the ones in Boulia, Doomadgee, and across the Torres Strait Islands are showing what this transition looks like in practice:
- In Boulia (featured image), a 1.7 MW solar farm and 1.5 MWh battery are expected to save about 360,000 litres of diesel a year.
- In Doomadgee, a 4.5 MW solar farm and 1 MWh battery will reduce diesel use by roughly 130,000 litres each week during peak months.
- In the Torres Strait, a shared 12.5 MW solar system, 4 MW of wind turbines, and a 26.5 MWh battery could save around 7 million litres of diesel annually.
Takeaways
These aren’t abstract energy systems, they’re the heartbeat of small, close-knit communities, many with deep cultural and historical roots. Reliable power means cold storage for medicine, lighting for classrooms, and a stable foundation for local businesses and community life.
From an engineering student’s perspective, it’s fascinating to see how the concepts I’m learning like generation, load balancing, storage, and control play out in these real-world microgrids.
They’re living laboratories for the energy transition, showing how innovation can improve community life and cut carbon emissions in some of Queensland’s most remote places.
All info and image credit to Ergon Energy.
