New Solar Facilities Under Review for Queensland's Collinsville Plant

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Perth, Australia)--RATCH-Australia Corporation (RAC) (New South Wales (NSW), Australia) is planning to build a clean energy park at the site of the company's Collinsville Power Plant, which is considered as one of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants in Queensland, Australia.

RAC is investigating various options to decommission the existing power plant, which is closed at the moment and was shuttered in June 2012. RAC is involved in several discussions on whether to demolish the whole power plant or rebuild a new power plant using some of the existing equipment.

The company is also conducting feasibility studies to rebuild the site with a new power plant using various sources, such as solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and hybrid gas generation. The studies will help the company to assess the financial viability of the project, as well as associated capital costs.

RAC will lodge the planning application soon to the Whitsunday Regional Council, and it will confirm the actual plan upon completion of the ongoing feasibility studies.

The planning application will consist of a proposal to build a 30-megawatt (MW) solar thermal power plant and 20-MW photovoltaic power plant, as well as a smaller-capacity hybrid plant that will use a packaged boiler to provide additional electricity and act as a backup to the solar plant, which will be operated when needed. RAC engaged a company called Novatec Solar Australia Pty Limited (NSW) to provide the technology for the solar thermal power plant, which will be built using linear Fresnel technology. Novatec also will assist the company in the design phase of the project. Construction on the solar thermal power plant is expected to start by mid-2015 and the plant is planned for kickoff by the end of 2014.

RAC will consider using some of the equipment from the coal-fired plant and demolish the remaining equipment. However, there is no concrete plan on how the company would proceed.

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