Thursday Island is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is located approximately 39km north of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland.

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Thursday Island’s wind turbines are some of the oldest operating in Australia and demonstrate the suitability of renewable energy in Australian conditions.

Ergon isolated networks manager Dane Thomas said, “It’s great to see the turbines in the air once again. Thursday Island has once again welcomed the winds of change and is embracing a renewable energy future after leading the way when the wind farm was established in 1997,” he said.

“While this was cutting-edge technology when it was initially installed, it was due for a major overhaul, so the generating equipment was shipped to a specialist facility in South Australia while the towers were maintained onsite.

“With the completion of this $2 million project we have improved the reliability and efficiency of the wind turbines, which can generate enough energy to support around 100 high-use homes and are expected to save several thousand litres of diesel a week,” Thomas said.

To date, the wind turbines have generated more than 18,921MWh of renewable energy and savings of 220,000L of diesel a year on average.

As part of its commitment to decarbonising remote communities, and in consultation with the local councils and traditional owners, Ergon Energy Network is pursuing a range of renewable energy options on Thursday Island, including solar solutions.

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“While the turbines can produce a lot of clean energy when the wind is blowing they won’t be as productive during those calm periods, known as ‘the doldrums’, and that’s why we need a mix of energy solutions,” Thomas said.

“There is widespread community interest in harnessing the power of the sun and we are working together with the council and other agencies to find the most suitable options and support a renewable energy future.”

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Horizon Power contributed to the upfront cost of the solar systems as part of its Solar Incentives Scheme that were installed on four community buildings last week.

The Bidyadanga community is 100 per cent diesel fuelled so the installation of the solar will also reduce Horizon Power’s costs of providing electricity to the remote community, and that means the taxpayer subsidy that goes into regional electricity is also reduced.

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Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said the installation of solar panels on community buildings was in line with the business’ commitment to providing cleaner, greener, more affordable electricity to regional customers.

Bidyadanga CEO Tania Baxter said the “Tens of thousands of dollars the community will save on its power bills as a result of the solar can be invested back into the community to benefit residents. We would ultimately also like to see solar on the roofs of houses in the community, to help individuals reduce their power bills,” she said.

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The solar panels have been installed on the community’s administration building, general store, community service centre and local workshop.

Funding under the solar incentives scheme is capped for each community and is currently open to the corporations that are Horizon Power customers. The scheme is due to end in June.

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