It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good they say. Repower Port Augusta has seized on recent Federal Government comments and renewed its push for support for the construction of a solar thermal power plant.
Two coal-fired power stations in Port Augusta are to be replaced with a combined cycle gas plant; or if Repower Port Augusta has its way, with Australia’s first solar thermal plants.
A blueprint for replacing the coal plants with solar and wind was launched in 2012. Last year, Alinta Energy said it would investigate the viability of a solar thermal facility; but a study found the cost of the projected $577 million project to be too much for Alinta Energy to go it alone – there was a gap of $150 million.
The Australian Federal Government recently stated it would like to see the CEFC focus more on investing in large scale solar – and Repower Port Augusta says it has just the project.
“We will be reaching out and not just to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation but to the Federal Government and the State Government and saying, ‘Look if you guys are wanting to invest in large-scale solar, here’s one that could really help a community’,” said Repower Port Augusta spokesman Dan Spencer.
However, the CEFC isn’t about handouts or interest free loans – it’s about low risk investments providing rapid and substantial returns. While the benefits of a solar thermal project in Port Augusta are many, that criteria could pose a challenge. Even so, the current situation has enabled the group to bring its very worthy project back into the spotlight again.
The Repower Port Augusta Alliance will be holding an evening discussion on Wednesday, August 5. Among those attending the event will be Dr Keith Lovegrove, a solar thermal expert with the Climate Change Institute at ANU (Canberra).
Just a brief update on the CEFC situation – another legal professional has commented that the Federal Government could find itself in a spot of bother with its directives; in relation to legislation covering how the CEFC must operate.
“The purpose of the Act is spelled out. It is to get as much investment in clean energy technologies as you can, and that includes renewable technologies,” said Stephen Keim QC.
“If there’s evidence that the Government’s just trying to frustrate the purpose of the Act, then the corporation would have the opportunity … to seek a legal remedy,” he said.
