Nestled in a sea of trees in the New South Wales Riverina region, more than 10,000 solar panels have been installed alongside a battery energy storage system to help one of the world’s largest growers of almonds clean up its act.
The 5.99MW solar farm, paired with a 2.3MW/4.5MWh BESS, has been installed at the Kerarbury almond orchard operated by Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) in Griffith.
According to AGL Energy, which delivered the project using Trina Solar panels, the new PV and battery system will be backed up by the grid when required, but should be able to achieve renewable energy penetration of up to 83 per cent.
“We work with [agribusinesses] to transition away from reliance on diesel or grid electricity, to electrify through renewable sources like solar and battery storage, with cost effective solutions,” says AGL Group general manager of electrification and innovation, Ryan Warburton.
“This will be AGL’s third major system built for almond industry clients. Each system is designed and built to meet the specific needs of each farm.
“AGL will operate and maintain the system over a 20-year partnership, allowing ofi to focus on almond production at Kerarbury.”
Warburton says the Trina solar panels will use a single axis tracking system to follow the sun, taking them from almost upright at the start of the day, facing east and then following the sun to the west over the course of the day.
With an expected annual solar generation of 14,000MWh, the project could theoretically provide power for a whole year to the adjacent town of Griffith, estimated to have a population of just under 30,000.
As well as powering the farm, the hybrid system will form part of AGL Energy’s virtual power plant (VPP), a large bank of controllable energy that can help to stabilise the grid and further support renewables.
AGL currently manages 296MW of commercial solar, and decentralised assets like battery energy storage systems.
Increasing global demand for almonds
With the increase in popularity of alternative milks, such as almond-based products, the global almond market has been steadily growing over the past decade.
According to data from analytics firm Research and Markets, the almond market is currently estimated to be worth around US$8.64 billion, growing to around US$11.5 billion by the end of the decade.
With some consumers opting for almond milk over dairy milk as a more environmentally-friendly alternative, it’s important for almond growers to opt for more sustainable growing solutions, such as installing solar farms on-site.
Of the most popular vegan milk alternatives, the production of almond milk causes the lowest overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), according to a recent study published with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
However, it requires considerably more water to grow almonds in comparison to rice, oats and soy.
It’s worth noting that despite the higher water consumption, the production of almond milk, along with other vegan alternatives, is much more environmentally friendly in all metrics when compared to the production of dairy milk.
Damien Houlahan, head of almonds at OFI, says the solar and battery project will contribute to the company’s dedicated target of halving Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
“The project builds on our existing efforts across our Australian orchards to improve water-efficiency, protect and expand permanent pollinator habitats, and maximise renewable energy sources,” he said.
“Partnerships like this are vital to scaling impact across our supply chains while also supporting the decarbonisation agendas of our customers, local business, and government partners.”
