Page 5106 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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the bulk power grid, smart grids generate, distribute and regulate the flow of electricity to consumers but on a local level.
In line with the ACT government’s climate policies, microgrids provide an ideal way to integrate renewable resources at the community level. We had a tour of the implementation of smart microgrids and smart infrastructure, and this was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the issues associated with the use of electric buses and, in particular, the utilisation of renewable energy and innovative wireless charging of buses. Canberra is in the early stage of introducing electric buses, but we are one of Australia’s leading jurisdictions in renewable energy generation and the opportunity to utilise wireless charging is an exciting one that we are keen to learn more about.
The mission also presented the opportunity to meet with InnoZ, a collaborative research institution that focuses on the development of sustainable mobility concepts in the context of societal change. This research agenda seeks to coordinate complex and large-scale projects in the realm of transport, ICT systems and energy. InnoZ contributes to the German and European innovation initiatives with its research projects and its on-site electro-mobility platform, a space which functions as a living lab, exhibition centre and forum. The organisation is also currently testing a smart microgrid whereby electric cars store wind and solar energy, reducing the pressures on electricity networks. With Canberra’s renewable energy focus, technology such as this will be highly suitable for our city.
We also met with the Mercator Institute, where we discussed areas for collaborative research by the Energy Transition Hub, an Australian-German bilateral research hub in which both the Australian National University and the Mercator Institute play a leading role. The research areas discussed included data-driven energy storage, renewable energy asset management, and hydrogen and renewable energy usage in the transport sector.
We then travelled to Spain, where we met with CAF, the company managing the current Canberra light rail vehicle design, manufacture and future maintenance. Together with representatives from Transport Canberra and the Canberra Metro consortium, this visit provided an opportunity for us to inspect the production of Canberra’s light rail vehicles. We had a thorough inspection of the vehicles in the various stages of production, and I am pleased to say they are of exceptional quality and exceptional good looks. The LRV is world class and has its own unique Canberra identity. Canberra’s LRVs stand alongside other vehicles in CAF’s production facilities destined for locations around the world. And, as members would be aware, the shipping of the first LRV from Spain is an important milestone for the light rail project.
The mission also provided the opportunity to view an extensive area of wire-free light rail vehicle operation and the urban design elements associated with this service in Zaragoza. This capability is certainly required to be part of stage 2 of our light rail project. The LRV service was operating in a mid-size city similar to Canberra, with a population of around 700,000 people. We were able to observe how it interacts in
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