The potential’s there, but Australia’s renewable energy future is far from mapped, writes Renee Thompson.
A clean energy map of a number of proposed large scale renewable energy projects around Australia has been released by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF).
The map details the location, megawatt capacity and the company behind some of the biggest proposed solar projects in Australia, as well as potential wave power sites and geothermal hotspots that could be developed across the country in the future.
Easily identifiable on the map are the much lauded ‘Big Solar’ projects – defined in the accompanying ACF report as large scale solar power stations with a capacity greater than 10megawatts.
Several of the projects identified on the map have been shortlisted for the Federal Government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program that aims to build and expand the solar industry in Australia.
One of the largest proposed ‘Big Solar’ projects to have been shortlisted is the 180MW TRUenergy Mallee Solar Park just outside Mildura, Victoria.
If successful, it is estimated that the Mildura solar facility will use photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate enough electricity to power 60,000 Victorian homes for over 20 years.
Another large ‘Big Solar’ project is the Parsons Brinckerhoff’s 150MW Solar Flair Project in Queensland, which aims to be Australia’s first utility-scale solar thermal project.
While the Solar Flagships program has received a total of 52 applications from potential solar companies, it is expected that only two of the shortlisted projects will receive the funding to go ahead.
The two most successful projects are expected to be announced in mid 2011.
This entry was posted on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at 2:47 pm