Monarto Energy Project
Project overview
Approximately 70 km south-east of Adelaide, the Monarto area of South Australia is soon to be home to a combined solar and battery project, built and owned by Flow Power.
Project details
Featuring more than 10,600 solar panels and over 50,000 metres of string cabling, the Monarto Energy Project is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025, following the grant of Development Application in 2024. The Project will feature a 5 MW solar farm combined with 15 MWh of battery storage.
Once operational, the project will supply renewable energy while supporting the local grid during periods of peak demand.
This project builds on Flow Power’s ever-growing pipeline of renewable projects and forms part of our broader strategy to deliver renewable energy to South Australia.
How will the project work?
Similar to other combined solar and battery projects (such as our projects in Berri and Newstead), the solar and battery storage system work together to generate and store clean energy.
The solar panels capture energy from the sun during daylight hours, and supply this to the grid. If there is excess electricity generated, this will be stored in the battery. The battery will then discharge this energy when demand is high on the grid – typically during morning and evening peaks – helping reduce demand strain and drive down prices for South Australia.
About the location
The region of Monarto was chosen for the project due to its proximity to existing grid infrastructure, land availability and ample sunshine.
Around the corner from the project site is Monarto Safari Park, which is the largest safari experience outside of Africa. Also close to the project site is BioR’s large-scale environmental restoration project. The initiative is a 550-hectare property, where BioR is working to rehabitate the area to support native flora and fauna, as well as woodland birds, reptiles and other animal species.
Flow Power plans to further support the local environment by carrying out revegetation of the Monarto Energy Project site. The revegetation program will cover 15 hectares of land next to the Energy Project.
The land for the project
The site is located on the traditional lands of The Ngarrindjeri Nation.
We worked with the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) and Stenhouse Heritage to perform a cultural heritage assessment of the site.
Based on the findings from the survey, Flow Power worked with NAC to ensure recommended requirements are now incorporated into our induction programs. We made sure to include NAC heritage stop work procedures in our Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP).
For each of our project sites, we aim to work with local First Nations corporations or business to conduct a Cultural Heritage Survey. We also prefer creating a Cultural Heritage Management Plan to ensure care of Country is carried out during construction, and throughout the entire life cycle of the project.
The benefits of batteries
Battery projects are ideal renewable firming assets as they can quickly supply the grid with energy during peak demand periods or blackouts.
Battery assets can respond faster than coal generators, making them ideal for firming electricity supply in ways that thermal generation can’t. This helps create a more stable electricity network and makes batteries a valuable part of the NEM’s generation mix.
The battery will operate to allow a greater share of renewable energy in the network, by absorbing excess electricity produced during the day and storing for use in the evening.
The battery will also provide Contingency FCAS (Frequency Control and Ancillary Services) to ensure the stability and reliability of the local distribution network. Put simply, FCAS keeps the grid within a safe frequency by balancing supply and demand, helping to prevent blackouts and outages.
FAQs
We work with the local Fire Service to ensure our fire safety measures are suitable for the local area. We have a water tank on site which the fire service has full access to.
Additionally, vegetation management is key in ensuring fire risk is low. At Monarto, we plan to run sheep across our site to ensure grasses are naturally kept very low. Flow Power performs pre-Fire Danger Season assessment of its energy projects to confirm vegetation is well managed.
A team of technicians regularly inspects and cleans the panels, monitors battery health, and ensures everything runs smoothly.
As part of our commitment to the community, we are working with local businesses to support several initiatives in the Monarto area and wider region.
We’re here to help.
If you’d like to know more about the Monarto Energy Project, get in touch with us via info@MonartoEnergyProject.com.au