EnviroMission Limited

Recent Media Releases

7 June 2002

Wentworth Shire Council
Media release
Date: Friday, June 7, 2002

Solar tower progress welcomed

WENTWORTH Shire Council has welcomed notification that the giant EnviroMission solar tower power project has taken three noteworthy steps towards fruition.

EnviroMission representatives told Council late Thursday (June 6) that project has been given authority to proceed with a power station accreditation process by the Australia’s Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER), that the tower plan has met all the regulations of the Commonwealth Air Safety Authority (CASA) and Mildura Aerodrome management has given the project the nod. (Mildura Rural City Council owns Mildura Aerodrome).

The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator is a statutory authority established to oversee the implementation of the Federal Government's mandatory renewable energy target, while the CASA was established in 1995 to ensure aviation safety for Australians.

Welcoming the news, Mayor, Cr Don McKinnon, said the threefold endorsement represented small, but vital steps on the way to the project’s realisation.
"It means the tower project is moving forward and EnviroMission is working steadily towards its goal," he said.

The revolutionary tower, to be built at an estimated cost of $700 million, will be world-first and predictions are that it will attract flow-on business worth many more millions.

Approval from the ORER means that the Tapio Station tower project can now seek accreditation as power station 156, a virtual ‘green light’ by the country’s top alternative energy regulator while the CASA has found that the one kilometre high tower will not represent an impediment to commercial airline operations.

It has, however, stipulated that tower must carry high intensity obstacle lights in the interests of air safety.

EnviroMission communications manager, Kim Forte, said the lights had already been allowed for in the initial planning and preliminary costings for the tower.

Approval from Mildura Aerodrome management is also important, signalling that the tower is not seem as an hindrance to air traffic using that facility.

"It all bodes well for the tower," Cr McKinnon said.

"There is still long way to go, but the hurdles are being overcome one by one."

Ms Forte was similarly positive, saying EnviroMission was now keenly pursuing the planning approvals process.

"We are working through the process with our eyes firmly fixed on the final goal," she said.

More announcements of project support and approval are expected near future.

Ends...

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