Companies vie for renewable energy funding for projects in SA
Updated
South Australia's energy mix has been the source of national debate in recent months.
The latest argument surrounds "clean coal" and whether the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) should be allowed to invest in it.
So, what companies are already vying for renewable energy funds?
Reporter Nicola Gage looks at current renewable energy projects and proposals in South Australia.
Coober Pedy hybrid power station
Energy Developments Limited is building a hybrid power station at Coober Pedy.
It received $18.5 million from the Federal Government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to get the project off the ground.
The hope is for the outback community to be solely powered by a combination of solar, wind and diesel energy.
Construction began last September and should be complete by July.
However, an independent report recently found it will cost almost double what it should and the South Australian Opposition has asked for the auditor-general to investigate.
Roxby Downs solar plant
Investors are trying to fund a $300-million solar battery power plant in the outback South Australian town.
It would include about 800,000 solar panels connected to shipping container-sized batteries, which have the ability to manage and store power.
The first stage of the project would include a 20-megawatt power plant with two-megawatt battery storage, with potential for expansion.
If it gets funded, it has the potential to create 100 jobs in the building phase and a handful of ongoing positions.
Crystal Brook Energy Park
A wind, solar and battery farm is planned near Crystal Brook in the state's mid-north.
It would cost about $500 million to build and generate more than 700,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity every year.
The proponents, named the Crystal Brook Energy Park, said electricity generated from the solar panels and wind turbines would be collected at an onsite substation.
An onsite battery building would have the capacity to store up to four hours of wind and solar-generated electricity.
A similar proposal for Port Augusta has already been given final State Government approval.
The Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, by DP Energy Australia, will also utilise wind and solar.
Tailem Bend solar farm
A 100-megawatt solar power facility is being constructed at Tailem Bend.
It will supply power to customers of Snowy Hydro's retail business, Lumo Energy, which is the fourth-biggest retailer in the national electricity market.
The large-scale plant will have the capacity to power 30,000 homes and is due to be completed some time this year.
It includes what the company called a "unique battery-ready design" which would allow for the storage of unused power.
Port Augusta solar thermal power station - Solar Reserve
United States-based company Solar Reserve has been seeking federal support for a $650-million solar thermal project in Port Augusta.
It would use more than 10,000 billboard-sized mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays to generate heat.
Energy would then be stored in molten salt, producing baseload power 24 hours a day similar to a traditional coal-fired generator.
Solar Reserve uses the technology in Nevada.
However, the proponents of the project admit it will be hard to get it off the ground without government support.
Upper Spencer Gulf solar plant
Energy company Zen Energy wants to build a solar power plant in the Upper Spencer Gulf.
It would have the ability to store 100 megawatts of power in batteries, with the aim of solving most of South Australia's energy reliability problems.
But Zen Energy said it would not be viable if national energy market regulations were not changed.
Port Augusta solar thermal power station - Solastor
Another company hoping to capitalise off the sun in Port Augusta is Sydney-based Solastor Australia.
It is proposing to build a $1.2-billion solar-thermal power station, involving concave mirrors that focus sunlight onto a 10-tonne receiver.
The receiver is made of graphite, which is heated to 800 degrees Celsius, with the heat used to create steam to power a 110-megawatt generator.
It is hoping to gain funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Cooper Basin geothermal power untapped
Huge potential for geothermal energy options remain in the Cooper Basin region.
Energy company Geodynamics had several test wells in the region but closed them and remediated the sites last year, after deeming it not financially viable.
Geodynamics had been extracting super-heated water from five kilometres below the earth's surface, to generate electricity.
Topics: hydro-energy, geothermal-energy, alternative-energy, environment, solar-energy, states-and-territories, federal---state-issues, government-and-politics, sa, port-augusta-5700, tailem-bend-5260, roxby-downs-5725, coober-pedy-5723
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