Antinuclear

Large scale solar power project for Western New South Wales

Largest solar power station in the southern hemisphere  News International, 31 July 2013 11:16 Gary Gray  Canberra ,  Federal  Minister for Climate Change, Mark Butler today announced construction  will start in January on the largest solar power station in the southern  hemisphere after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reached  financial close with AGL Energy Limited (AGL).
Mr Butler said the project will be built across two sites in Western NSW  and will cover a combined area four times the size of the Sydney CBD.
“Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of  any continent in the world and we should take advantage of that natural  asset,” Mr Butler said.
“This project is 15 times larger than any other solar power station in  Australia and represents a big step forward towards making solar a  bigger part of Australia’s energy mix.
“The Rudd Government is committed to transitioning Australia to a clean  energy future and this combined 155 megawatt solar project helps make  renewable energy cost competitive for more Australians.”
Minister for Resources and Energy Gary Gray said this was a major  milestone for AGL and the Government and would help boost investor  confidence in large utility-scale solar.
“Reaching financial close and progressing to construction is a major  achievement paving the way for future investment and meaning that, in a  short time, an additional 50,000 homes across New South Wales will be  powered by clean energy each year,” Mr Gray said.
AGL, together with solar developer First Solar, will construct a solar  power plant near Nyngan (102MW) in central New South Wales and another  near Broken Hill (53MW) which together will create over 450 local jobs  during construction.
Mr Butler said this strategic investment was part of the Labor  Government’s broader efforts to stimulate investment in renewable energy  in Australia. In addition to the $166.7 million the Federal Government  is investing through ARENA, it is also providing $40.7 million under the  Education Investment Fund to assist the University of Queensland and  the University of New South Wales conduct related solar power research.
“Labor’s $3 billion Australian Renewable Energy Agency and $10 billion  Clean Energy Finance Corporation are designed to drive significant  renewable energy investment and this is a great example of a flagship  solar project for Australia,” Mr Butler said.
“Combined with the Renewable Energy Target of at least 20% by 2020 and  the establishment of the Emissions Trading Scheme, we are already seeing  the results of Labor’s reforms. Since 2007, Australia’s wind capacity has trebled and Labor has  supported the installation of more than 1 million solar panels, up from  just over 7000 under the Howard Government.
“Carbon pollution in the National Electricity Market is down by around  7% in the last year and renewable energy generation like wind and solar  power is up by 25% in the same period.
“And there are now around 24,000 people employed in the clean energy  jobs of the future, more than double the estimated 10,000 employed 5  years ago.”
Construction is scheduled to commence next year in January at Nyngan and in July at Broken Hill.
The NSW Government will also invest $64.9 million in the project and  recently approved the Development Applications for the Nyngan and Broken  Hill solar plants.

July 31, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | New South Wales, solar