PROJECT TALLY (October) Number of projects = 451 - 210 Generating - 241 In Development Total Capacity = 60,821.7 MW - 21,450.97 MW Generating - 39,370.73 MW In Development Project Updates Week ending 17 November 2017 Green energy plant plant using the high-precision, custom- manufactured components that have arrived components landed in Cairns and others that are on the way,” he said. 10 November Key components for MSF Sugar’s $75 million “It is exciting to see the plant taking shape. green energy plant have landed in Cairns en- This is the first stage of our green energy route to their final destination at the pipeline and heralds a new era for the far Tableland Mill. north Queensland sugar industry.” Among the shipload of 276 individual items is Ports North chairman Russell Beer said this the steam turbine and generator package for latest project out of the Port of Cairns the power plant, which at $18 million is the reaffirmed its importance as a major cargo largest single investment item for the hub for far North Queensland. cornerstone project. “Ports North has secured major contracts The HR Endeavour docked into Cairns on throughout 2017 by promoting and building November 5 and took several days to unload, the port’s capabilities, with new facilities such with the operation finishing today. as the windfarm component lay down area,” he said. Power plant project manager Mark Magnanini said the items would now be road transported Panalpina World Transport project to the construction site across two to three development manager Andrew Chatto said weeks. 800,000kg, or 800 metric tonnes, of cargo had been discharged from the ship. “The bulk of the shipment will use normal road freight transport and the logistics will be “This is a significant project. There are handled by the principal contractor for the multiple people involved and multiple project, ThyssenKrupp,” he said. contractors involved – most of them local – so it’s a fantastic opportunity for the region,” he “The process will have minimal impact on said. road users as components will be transported outside of peak times.” Construction of the new green energy power plant started in May this year at the Arriga Mr Magnanini said the arrival of the site, west of Cairns, and is on track to be components was a significant project completed by July 2018. milestone. Once operational, the power plant will use a “With the major civil works completed, our 100 per cent renewable sugarcane fibre, attention now turns to construction of the known as bagasse, to produce 24 megawatts of electricity – enough to power every house and generating economic opportunities in in the Tableland region. regional parts of the state,” Mr Thornton said. Fast Facts: “Along with the state’s strong renewable •276 high-precision, custom-manufactured energy target of 50 per cent by 2030, the new components were shipped on the vessel HR pledge of $50 million for a solar thermal Endeavour from Mumbai and Chennai in India power plant and almost $100 million for solar to Cairns, arriving into the port on Sunday 5 panels in schools will help to accelerate a 21st November century energy system for the sunshine state. •The cargo, which weighed a total of 800,000 Funding to help remote communities kilograms or 800 metric tonnes, was decarbonise is also very welcome, along with discharged from the vessel over three investigating the feasibility of a battery mega- consecutive days factory in North Queensland. •The components will be transported by road to MSF Sugar’s Tableland Mill over a three “Renewable energy is now the cheapest and week period, with approximately five loads cleanest option for new energy generation transported per day (75-80 loads in total) and, when combined with energy storage, it can do everything fossil fuels can – except Source: Industry Queensland much more flexibly and without the pollution,” he said. Link to AltEnergy project database: Tableland Sugar Mill Power Station Mr Thornton welcomed the Liberal National Party’s renewable energy election commitments to date, but said the idea of building a new coal plant in North Queensland Sunshine State shining brightly simply doesn’t make sense. for renewable energy as “Renewable energy with storage is now election nears cheaper than new coal, and the reality is that any new coal plant will take at least seven 13 November years to be built if everything goes smoothly. The Queensland Government’s election However, there are some good ideas in the pledge for new renewable energy and energy LNP’s energy policy to streamline approvals storage funding on the weekend will further for renewable energy projects and introduce build on its strong record of encouraging clean more efficient regulation,” he said. energy jobs and investment in the state, Australia’s renewable energy industry said “We have to get smarter to deal with power today. bills, and that means more renewable energy, more flexible energy storage, better demand Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane response and other enabling technology that Thornton said the renewable energy and can help us use our energy more efficiently storage industry had invested strongly in when it is most needed.” Queensland over the last few years, and a large part of that is due to the supportive Source: Clean Energy Council environment which has been created for business. “Queensland has led the nation in rooftop solar panels for years, and the many big wind and solar projects which are underway across the state are employing thousands of locals A head of steam on Resource consents for a period of 35 years granted in July 2017 provide the certainty to geothermal power station support the major investment required. expansion 13 November Mr Shaw describes the expansion of the It’s full steam ahead for the expansion of the geothermal power station as one of the most Ngawha geothermal power station following significant projects to be undertaken in the major transaction approval from the Top Far North, which could ultimately secure the Energy Consumer Trust and Top Energy Board. region’s energy independence. Top Energy Chief Executive Russell Shaw says Source: Top Energy this was the final hurdle the company had to pass to commit to a construction programme to expand the station to 53MW by June 2021. RCR preferred contractor for Bank funding has been secured for an estimated total project cost of $175million. the Clermont and Wemen The company is keen to retain local ownership Solar Farm projects with by using bank funding. While constraining the combined value 0f $260m company’s capital expenditure in the short 13 November term the investment will ensure benefits from Diversified engineering and infrastructure this project are retained for the people of the company, RCR Tomlinson Ltd (ASX: RCR), is Far North. pleased to announce that it has been selected as the Preferred EPC Contractor for two major Mr Shaw says with the major transaction contracts, totalling approximately $260 approvals, Ngawha Generation Ltd can get the million for the Engineering, Procurement and construction programme fully underway. Construction (“EPC”) and Operation and Maintenance (“O&M”) for the 75MWac Initial tenders for civil works have been Clermont Solar Farm and the 88MWac awarded with some construction activity Wemen Solar Farm, being developed by already underway on the Ngawha site; well International renewable energy company, drilling will start in early 2018. Wirsol Energy Ltd (part of the WIRCON Group). Mr Shaw says by September 2018 the company will confirm whether there is a The EPC and O&M Contracts for these two viable geothermal resource to support the solar farms are currently being negotiated and expansion. are subject to financial close, which is expected to be completed on or about 24 Once this is clear, he says, “we expect to November 2017. finalise the contracts for the transmission connection, the supply of the station and the Subject to final contracts, RCR’s scope of work fluid conveyance system, to be on target for a will include engineering, procurement, 2021 commissioning”. construction and commissioning of the Solar Farms. Once commissioned, RCR will provide Mr Shaw says it has been a long and O&M services for an initial period of 2 years, convoluted road to get to a point where the with various option terms for up to a further company is confident the project will be able 13 years. to proceed. The Clermont Solar Farm is located in Rockhampton, Northern Queensland and the Wemen Solar Farm is located in Wemen, the sun might not be shining, or the wind Victoria. blowing. RCR Managing Director & CEO, Dr Paul Importantly, a new solar thermal power plant Dalgleish said “We are very pleased to will mean manufacturing and operational jobs continue our strong relationship with Wirsol in the regions. It also means that Queensland to deliver these two large-scale solar energy will be able to start running on solar power projects. We are now supporting Wirsol in the even at night – truly turning the Sunshine development of over 200MWac of renewable State into the Solar State. energy solar projects. Link to Queensland Labor Party’s full Wirsol are a leading project developer of renewable energy policy here. sustainable energy projects in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France, and Germany, and Source: Queensland Labor Party the largest developer of Solar projects in Australia. We continue to see significant opportunities PROJECT BRIEFS in the rapidly evolving renewable energy Development proposal for Esco Pacific’s sector. planned 60 MW Mirani Solar Farm in northern Queensland rejected by Mackay Regional I am also delighted with the continued growth Council on the following grounds: “Due to in our order book in FY18 and we remain concern regarding the loss of Good Quality preferred on a number of additional Agricultural Land (GQAL) and the fact that an renewable energy projects that will support over-riding need to place the facility on GQAL our growth in FY18 and into FY19”, said Dr land has not been demonstrated.” Dalgleish.