GenOffGrid, considered a shining example of an Australian innovator in the renewable energy sector, has set up its major northern hub in East Arm after receiving a Territory Government grant.

Customised power stations have been sold to cattle stations, roadhouses and Aboriginal communities throughout Northern Australia.

The generators range in size from one built to service a town in Papua New Guinea with a population of 15,000 to some that can be offloaded from a single truck and be simply plugged in.

GenOffGrid Managing Director John Davidson says one billion litres of diesel fuel is burnt in remote Australia every year for the generation of electricity.

“We specialise in engineering, building and operating remote power generation in Northern Australia and the Pacific,” he says.

“We are very pleased to be supported by the Northern Territory Local Jobs Fund to assist us in strengthening our investment and fast-tracking our go-to market strategy from our East Arm facility.

“Darwin is a strategic location for us as we will have good access to import and export facilities that will reduce our trucking cost substantially for inbound goods and give us a regional competitive advantage for the neighboring island communities.”

The deployable solar power station concept is already in use in several remote Territory places, such as the Ormiston Gorge rangers’ station and Melaleuca Station.

GenOffGrid received a $3 million concessional loan through the Local Jobs Fund to support the relocation of the company’s headquarters from Broome.

The investment will also help the company expand and install more microgrids across Northern Australia.

The expansion is expected to create 20 jobs over the next two years, with an estimated $122 million contributing to Territory GSP by 2029.

Since its inception in 2019, the Local Jobs Fund has approved more than $61 million in funding to 15 business applicants, which is expected to create more than 880 jobs over the next five years and forecast to contribute over $1 billion to the Territory’s economy.

Investment Commissioner Kelly Ralston says: “The Local Jobs Fund is an important catalyst for businesses such as GenOffGrid, helping to crowd in other funding and accelerate its business strategy.

“Having the company’s headquarters in Darwin will ensure the company continues to expand and install more microgrids across Northern Australia, continuing to service existing and new customers.”