The community of Wujal Wujal in Queensland, home to Kuku Yalanji, Kuku Nyungul and Kuku Julunji community members, is connected to the national grid at the end of a long fringe of grid feeder line, causing a significantly higher distribution cost of supply.
Project background
Assisted by a federal government scoping study, the community moved a 40-year vision for a hydro-electric asset into a business case in 2022.
According to the feasibility study by Volt Advisory Group developed with the support of Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, community elders and members alike, they found a clear economic case for installing a solar and battery microgrid and a hydro plant to both power the community and support Ergon Energy’s grid, in addition to revenue earning via community-ownership and control opportunities to meet the community’s own power objectives.
They now have a plan to keep the power on, reduce electricity costs, create local jobs, and build economic empowerment. By developing a community owned infrastructure model, this project has the potential to provide significant benefits to the community and serve as a blueprint for other remote communities. (Watch a video about the project)
Wujal Wujal's Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation submitted a government application to install a community-owned small solar and battery system in March 2023. It was rejected.
Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Jasper, in early February 2024, Elder for KuKu Yalanji – Eastern KuKu Yalanji Indigenous Protected Area Kathleen Walker gained a commitment from the Queensland Premier that the community's renewable energy plans would be inserted into the government's Wujal Wujal recovery budget.
In September 2024 the government announced $11,837,161 in funding to Wujal Wujal from the Federal government’s Disaster Ready Fund to 'deliver a solar and battery microgrid that will provide community-wide back-up power when the Ergon network connection is lost during disaster events’ and will 'connect using underground cables to power the Wujal Wujal and Degarra communities'.
The Wujal Wujal microgrid funding was finalised early 2025 with ongoing work on land access with the Council and Ergon Energy permissions.
The entity
Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation established a majority Yalanji-owned company, Ngujakura Power, to deliver the microgrid project on country, 'ensuring capabilities, critical infrastructure and economic benefits are retained in the region'.
The project
In August 2025 the Eastern Kuku Yalanji (EKY) Traditional Owners with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation announced the delivery of the Wujal Wujal / Degarra microgrid comprising a 1.5 megawatt (MW) solar and battery system to enable self-generation and storage of power to Wujal Wujal and Degarra communities in Queensland.
Completion is scheduled for December 2027.