Former Aussie Coal Town Not Mucking About, Set To Become A Solar Power Showcase
The Australian town of Collinsville in Queensland was once known for its extensive coal mines. The coal was extracted using heavily-muscled dray horses known as pit ponies, and was used to make steam for a large coal-fired generating station nearby. The coal industry has suffered reversals in Australia just as it has in many other parts of the world, including the United States. The generating station closed years ago. But now solar power is coming to Collinsville and offering a lifeline to the local economy.
Collinsville enjoys 300 days of bright sunshine a year. “It’s a very good place for solar because of the radiation levels in north Queensland,” says John Cole, director of Edify Energy. “For example, our site in Collinsville will produce double the amount of power than a project in the UK, and about 5 to 10 per cent more than in New South Wales or Victoria,” he says.
Last August, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced it would provide $9.5 million to both Edify Energy’s 70MW Whitsunday Solar Farm and RATCH Australia Corporation’s 43MW Collinsville Solar Project. Both can easily be connected to the existing grid, thanks to the proximity of the old coal fired generating station. John Cole says Collinsville could become the solar capital of Australia.
Edify Energy plans to start building phase one this year, which is expected to take nine months to complete. It will provide about 200 badly needed jobs in the area. Local councilor Peter Ramage said the last four years had been devastating for the community. “Seeing families having to leave to find employment in other parts of the mining industry. It really knocked the town about — businesses closing down, two hotels closed in Collinsville — that would have been unheard of 15 years ago. The solar will be a good boost for the town. It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Ramage says.
When the project is done, only 10 full-time positions will remain, but Edify Energy plans to add more solar panels on its 10,000 acre site near the now defunct coal plant. The first phase will cover only 500 of those acres. Queensland energy minister Mark Bailey has indicated the government would support further expansion at that site. “The Collinsville solar farms are important contributions to us managing a clean energy economy and transitioning to a 50 per cent renewable energy mix over the next 14 years,” he said. “We’re at 7 per cent now. 14 years is a considerable amount of time and we’re not mucking about, we’re getting on with this.”
Source: ABC Australia
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