EnviroMission Limited

Recent Media Releases

22 March 2002

Wentworth Shire Council
Media release Date: Friday, 22 March, 2002

Tapio named as preferred solar site

Tapio Station, a large Wentworth Shire grazing holding, has been named by the EnviroMission solar power company as a possible Sunraysia site for its giant Solar
Tower power station.

Tapio Station now supersedes Ned’s Corner Station as EnviroMission’s preferred site, a company communiqué confirmed today (Friday, March 22).

"This is not only great news for our municipality, but also for Sunraysia as whole," Mayor, Cr Don McKinnon, said.

"As I have said before, the project will be a great boon for the whole area regardless of where it is situated."

"But of course I am pleased that it now looks like going ahead in Wentworth Shire."

EnviroMission said it had obtained an option on a 10,000 hectare area, with the aim of developing a renewable energy solar tower power station to capitalise on commercial benefits derived from:

Close proximity to the National Electricity Grid
Premium green electricity prices in NSW
Ease of access to Mildura - the regional heart of Sunraysia

"Located 7.5km from the Buronga Terminal Station – a connection point to the National Electricity Grid - it will increase the amount of saleable electricity achieved from reduced line losses; adding more than $8million per annum to revenue forecasts," the company said.

A company spokesperson said EnviroMission had continued to investigate contingent sites, even after publicising the Ned’s Corner proposal. The aim was to achieve "the best commercial outcome for shareholders and the project".

The Buronga site confirms EnviroMission’s strategic intent to develop Solar Tower renewable energy in the Sunraysia region, the press release said.

A decision has not been reached on the future of the option over Ned’s Corner Station north-west of Mildura.

Ends…

BACKGROUND:

The world-first tower, which has received wide publicity, will be one kilometre high and 130 metres in diameter, surrounded by a huge ‘greenhouse’.

The greenhouse would be about 5km in diameter, constructed from either glass panels or high-grade transparent plastic material.

This glasshouse-type roof would concentrate the heat from the sun and the ground below the collector, in turn creating an upward wind draft from the outside perimeter of the collector into the central tower.

This draft then turns wind-driven electricity generating turbines located in the tower base.

The proposed plant will generate 200 megawatts, claimed to be sufficient to provide enough electricity to power Mildura one and a half times.

The construction phase will provide employment for about 2000 people and is expected to begin late in 2003.

Completion is scheduled for 2005.

The estimated cost is $670million.

The company intends to develop five solar tower sites in Australia by 2010.

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