Tasmania’s King Island project has been under development since 1998 and is arguably the world’s first attempt to demonstrate how an island can transition from diesel generation to wind. An analysis of generation data indicates that while its “advanced control system” does a good job of integrating wind generation with the local grid the project is not capable of supplying King Island with much more than 60% renewable electricity, once more because of prohibitive energy storage requirements. King Island and its offshoot projects (Coober Pedy, Flinders Island, Rottnest Island) further highlight the costs of replacing dispatchable generation with intermittent renewables in isolated island grids and the need for continued diesel backup if demand is to be met year-round.
A first look at the King Island, Tasmania, Renewable Energy Integration Project
" And as discussed below the chances that King Island will ever be able to do without diesel backup are effectively zero."
http://euanmearns.com/a-first-look-at-the-king-island-tasmania-renewable-energy-integration-project/
