Question On Notice No. 1893 asked in the Legislative Council on 21 February 2019 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Energy
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to your media statement on 21 February 2019 titled 'WA companies to lead $8.8 million power system rollout', and I ask:
(a) who are the companies that have been selected to deliver round 1 of the Stand-alone Power System (SPS) rollout;
(b) where is each of the companies identified in (a) located;
(c) how many jobs will be created by this $8.8 million investment and where will those jobs be located;
(d) if no regional companies have been selected to deliver this project despite the fact that all of the SPS units are in regional Western Australia, how does this decision support the governments mantra of local jobs;
(e) what is the approximate location, design size (kwh) and approximate cost of each of the 57 SPS units;
(f) does Western Power have the regulatory backing to generate and distribute power in Western Australia; and
(g) will Western Power decommission parts of their network and disconnect customers once these SPS units are deployed so as to avoid and offset future network maintenance costs?
Answered on 4 April 2019
(a) Hybrid Systems Pty Limited
BayWa r.e Solar Systems Pty Ltd
Optimal Energy Projects Pty Ltd t/a Optimal Group Australia
(b) Hybrid Systems Pty Ltd: Kewdale WA
BayWa r.e. Solar Systems Pty Ltd: Cockburn Central WA
Optimal Group Australia: Mulgrave VIC
(c) In addition to existing directly employed staff, Hybrid Systems Pty Ltd and BayWa r.e. Solar Systems Pty Ltd have collectively nominated over 25 West Australian based subcontractors to assist with delivery of work packages and components for the projects.
(d) The vendors are suppliers of services provided in Western Australia and Australia, supporting Western Power’s alignment to the Western Australian Jobs Act 2017. Annual Western Australia Industry Participation plan reporting will be required from the vendors.
(e) Site locations: Mullewa, Pindar, Tardun, Elachbutting, Bodallin & South Bodallin, Holleton, Newdegate/Dunn Rock, Gairdner, Tambellup, Lake Muir, Mount Barker, Mokup, Moodiarrup, Kendenup, Doodlakine (Water Corporation), Ravensthorpe (Water Corporation)
Design size: <5kWh, 10kWh, 20kWh, 30kWh, 40kWh, 50kWh
The cost of each of the 57 Units remains commercial in confidence.
(f) Under current legislation, Western Power’s principal functions include the management, planning, development, expansion, enhancement, improving and reinforcing of transmission and distribution services within the South West Interconnected Network. Current principal functions do not include the generation of power. Western Power is installing SPS as an alternative to traditional network solutions and is not recovering generation costs. The existing overhead distribution lines connecting SPS customers to the Western Power network will remain in place, but be de-energised. The existing retailer arrangements will not change, with Synergy retaining responsibility for billing and other account management activities.
(g) Western Power will de-energise the network supplying the 57 sites and will retain the assets, ensuring customers are still ‘connected’ to the Western Power network until such a time as regulation change allows decommissioning of the network.