The Queensland Government has terminated its $75 million funding deed to the 250 megawatt Solar Dawn project in Chinchilla and the future of the project is now uncertain.  

 

The proposed Solar Dawn power plant near Chinchilla in South West Queensland is the preferred solar thermal power project in Round 1 of the Australian Government’s Solar Flagships Program.

 

 The Australian Government had committed $464 million to the project which then had until 30 June 2012 to meet financial close. The Solar Dawn project has indicated it has been unable to meet these conditions.

 

Solar Dawn will generate clean power with zero emissions and will use AREVA Solar’s Australian-pioneered Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) technology. The project involves a long-term research collaboration with The University of Queensland.

 

The project consists of approximately 450 hectares of infrastructure including a ‘solar field’ containing the mirrors and steam boiler tubes, and a ‘power block’ with the steam turbine generators and ancilliary equipment.

 

The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, said that while the project has made considerable progress since being awarded funding, the Queensland government’s withdrawal was a disappointing development.

 

“The Solar Dawn project offers Queensland the opportunity to be at the forefront of solar thermal technology and home to one of the largest solar power stations in the world,” he said.

 

 “The Queensland Government is putting at jeopardy a project that represents $1.5 billion in economic investment to regional Queensland, 300 construction and local manufacturing jobs and a $68 million solar research and development program at the University of Queensland.”

 

“The Australian Government remains committed to the deployment of large scale solar energy technology in Australia and we want Queensland to have the opportunity to lead the world in solar technology,” Minister Ferguson said.

 

“I have therefore written to the Chair of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Mr Greg Bourne, referring the project to ARENA for further consideration.”

 

The future of the Solar Dawn project will now be determined by the newly created independent Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), which came into effect on 1 July 2012.

 

More information on the Solar Flagships Program is available at www.ret.gov.au.