The Brisbane-based indigenous energy company behind a 1000-megawatt hybrid power plant in North Queensland hopes construction on the project can begin within the next 18 months.
Shine Energy said it was committed to helping Australia transition to a renewable future with the construction of the power plant at Collinsville.
When finished, the Dhalgan Energy Park will be Australia’s first HELE (high efficient, low emission) ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant.
The project is situated on Shine Energy’s traditional homeland of the Birri Nation in Collinsville.
The company said the project would generate about 2600 new jobs for the Collinsville region, with 2000 jobs at the peak of construction and about 600 jobs during the production phase.
Shine Energy said it was committed to employing a minimum of 10 per cent of Birri traditional owners and other traditional owners living throughout northern Australia, providing a pathway to economic self-determination.
Shine Energy is associated with low carbon-footprint renewable energy generation projects and has spent the past two years developing the Dhalgan Energy Park project.
A business case was finalised in late 2018 following a concept study conducted by global engineering group WSP.
Shine Energy said the project would ensure the Australian Energy Market Operator was supported in maintaining the national network to deliver an increased supply of electricity into the wholesale market at a cheaper wholesale cost.
The construction phase of the project is designed to coincide with the closure of the Liddell thermal power plant in 2022.
Shine Energy said that closure would result in a gap of 1800MWe in baseload generation and will increase the probability of further loss of reserve events occurring more frequently.
“As traditional owners, we are the stewards of our Birri homeland and we have a responsibility, not only to our environment but also to the Australian people, to ensure we play our part in providing access to affordable, reliable energy while we step forward on the pathway to a renewable future”, chief executive officer Ashley Dodd said.
Source: https://www.i-q.net.au/main/indigenous-company-hopes-to-shine-with-collinsville-power-plant
