Marlinja Microgrid an historic achievement as the first First Nations community-owned and grid connected renewable energy project in Australia.

The small community of Marlinja in the Northern Territory is set to become home to Australia’s first 100% First Nations-owned and grid-connected solar microgrid.

Two Elders and one CEO from flood ravaged Wujal Wujal arrived in Brisbane today to ask Ministers and energy service providers to remove the barriers to realising a 40-year community-led vision for developing a renewable energy asset to ensure reliable affordable power. 

This week Borroloola community members came together to launch the Ngardara Cooperative to drive development of its proposed 2.5MW solar microgrid aimed at re-powering the remote township of Borroloola in the Northern Territory's Gulf Country.

The Ngardara ‘Sun’ Project in Borroloola, Northern Territory is in development.

The community is working with Original Power and renewable energy experts to conduct a feasibility study to design and build their own solar microgrid. 

The project will cut local energy costs and reduce reliance on the town’s ageing and polluting diesel generators, providing a model for community ownership of power generation assets that can be shared with other communities seeking to benefit from and expand the reach of the clean energy revolution.

The project is moving through assessment with the assistance of Original Power and when completed, will be one of the first First Nations-owned community-scale renewable energy projects in the Northern Territory.

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