EnviroMission Limited

Recent Media Releases

13 August 2002

MEDIA RELEASE

13 August 2002
For Immediate Release

RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR GETS A SOLAR POWERED BOOST

Australia is set to become home to the world’s first operating Solar Tower, a one kilometre tall structure with the potential to generate enough green energy to power a city of 200,000.

EnviroMission Limited is proposing an investment of $800million in the project that would generate up to 200 megawatts of renewable, zero-emission electricity in NSW. The Federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, today announcing the venture had been granted Major Project Facilitation status.

“This project confirms Australia as a world leader in renewable energy production aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. The EnviroMission venture will represent the world’s first fullscale application of this new solar technology,” said Mr Macfarlane.

The 1000 metre tall tower will heat air at its base through the use of a transparent ‘solar collector’ measuring 7 km in diameter. The air under the collector is about 30º C hotter than the air at the top of the tower and a resulting convection force creates a powerful updraft within the tower generating the clean and green power.

"This is the latest of a number of recent and significant investment proposals in the emerging renewable energy market that will utilise Australia’s Mandated Renewable Energy Target (MRET)," Mr Macfarlane said.

Under the MRET electricity retailers will supply 9,500 GW hours per year from renewable sources by 2010. The proposed Solar Tower would generate some 650 GW hours per annum, enough power to abate around 7% of the MRET.

EnviroMission’s long-term strategy is to build five solar towers in Australia by 2010. This first one is planned for a site outside Mildura in NSW. It’s expected to create 2700 jobs during construction and 50 operational jobs in regional Australia.
Australia’s national investment agency, Invest Australia, is working closely with EnviroMission and the New South Wales Government to help facilitate the project and promote Australia’s growing renewable energy sector.

BP Solar recently invested $20million in the largest photovoltaic manufacturing plant in the Southern Hemisphere. Danish company Vestas has signed contracts for the delivery of wind turbines for several Tasmanian projects. While Invest Australia is facilitating a Victorian project that’s set to become Australia’s biggest wind energy project.

Department Contact:
Gina Bozinovski,
Invest Australia,
6213 6194 or 0418 643648

Download Minister MacFarlane Media Release (PDF 88k)

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