EDP secures $2.13m ARENA grant for Braidwood renewable microgrid

A key feature of the project is its “island-mode” capability.

EDP Renewables Australia has been awarded $2.13m (AUD$3m) by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to develop the Braidwood Renewable Microgrid Project.

The project is a community-focused microgrid pilot designed to improve energy resilience in Braidwood, a region in New South Wales vulnerable to prolonged outages due to damage on nearby electricity distribution lines.

Developed with local group Braidwood Clean Energy, the system will include a 7MWp (5MWac) solar farm and a 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

Under normal conditions, it will export power to the national grid and is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 7,537 tCO2e annually.

A key feature of the project is its “island-mode” capability, allowing it to disconnect from the main grid and operate independently during outages. This will ensure continued electricity supply for Braidwood and nearby Majors Creek when the grid is down.

The initiative was launched in response to the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires and is part of ARENA’s Regional Microgrids Program.

The grant will also support the development of technical, commercial, and regulatory frameworks needed for future replication of similar microgrid systems across Australia.