Combined wind/solar plant to be built in Queensland

Local renewable energy company Windlab and Japanese partner Eurus Energy have announced a 50/50 joint venture to build the Kennedy Energy Park — the first large-scale hybrid solar/wind plant to be constructed in Australia.

It is said that the $140 million plant will create more than 50 local jobs during construction phase, providing a major economic boost for the North Queensland community of Hughenden (around 300 km from Townsville). It will also have a major impact on Queensland’s electricity needs, over 90% of which are currently generated by fossil fuels.

The first stage of the project will involve construction of six turbines spanning 136 m in diameter — the largest ever seen in Australia. In tandem, 64,000 solar panels spread over 80 ha will generate sufficient energy to supply more than 25,000 Queensland homes with zero carbon emissions.

The project’s second stage will enable the generation of 1200 MW of renewable energy. This will provide enough renewable energy to meet much of Queensland’s contribution to the national 2020 Renewable Energy Target.

Windlab CEO Roger Price said the site for the Kennedy Energy Park had been selected for its “world-class” solar irradiance and wind energy profile.

“We know it is predominantly windy through the afternoon and into the evening, and obviously experiences sunlight during daylight hours,” he said.

“In combination, these natural resources can provide a net capacity factor approaching 70%, better than ‘base load’ coal utilisation in Queensland.

“Coupled with state-of-the-art grid storage, Kennedy will be able to match North Queensland’s current energy demand profile more than 80% of the time.”

Price said community support will be critical to the success of the Kennedy Energy Park plan, with Flinders Shire Mayor Greg Jones indicating that the council is backing the project.

“The council is very supportive of renewable energy initiatives, and we are keen to continue to work with Windlab and Eurus to see this project built in the Shire of Flinders,” he said.

Construction of the Kennedy Park project is expected to begin sometime after June in 2016.