According to a Bloomberg report, Spanish firm Acciona Energy has pulled out of Australia’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships program.
The article on Bloomberg quotes an email statement from the company that said uncertainty in Australian energy markets and the absence of an offtake contract were contributing factors in its decision.
Acciona’s project was one of eight invited to participate in the second stage of assessment for Round 1 of the $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program.
Acciona had proposed to generate 200 MW using solar thermal parabolic trough technology in Queensland in the Lilyvale region, or in South Australia near Roxby Downs and Olypmic Dam.
Acciona Energy is one of the world’s leader in wind energy and is no slouch when it comes to solar power either. A couple of days ago, the company announced it has reached 214 megawatts in operation in four solar farms, giving it a 17% share of the world market. It’s most recent large project, “Palma del Río II” in Spain, represented an investment of 251 million euros and created 350 jobs during its construction.
The company is building a twin plant nearby, which will enter service in summer 2011. The two plants will generate around 232 million kilowatt-hours a year, enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 77,000 homes and will avoid the emission of 223,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide compared to coal-fired power stations. The company says the solar farms will also help to reduce external energy dependence by about 130,000 barrels of oil per year.
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