Australia Cancels Giant $1.5 Billion Solar Dawn Project

Australia’s giant, 250 megawatt, $1.5 billion Solar Dawn solar thermal power plant, planned for development in south-west Queensland, has been cancelled.

The Solar Dawn Consortium, led by Areva Solar, has said that it will remain committed to the large-scale concentrated solar power industry, but that this particular project will not go ahead.

Back in July the project was dealt a massive blow when the Queensland government pulled its $78 million funding from the project, but the plug has just been pulled after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced that it was no longer willing to fund the project.

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“After exploring several options to address current market conditions, ARENA is no longer pursuing development, although it remains committed to Australia's large-scale concentrated solar power industry.”

Australia’s Clean Energy Council (ACEC) has criticised ARENA’s decision to pull out of the Solar Dawn project, because it leaves the country without a large scale solar thermal project. Russell Marsh, the policy director at the ACEC said that; “our challenge to ARENA would be for them to outline quite quickly what their plans are to have a program that is looking to support those kinds of technologies going forward.”

By. Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com