The largest Solar Project in the Southern Hemisphere

CS Energy’s 750 megawatt coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station near Chinchilla in South West Queensland is already known as being one of the most efficient electricity producing plants in Australia, and it is now set to become an even more impressive operation.
It has been announced that it will become home to a groundbreaking project; the largest solar integration with a coal-fired power station in the world.
The “Kogan Creek Solar Boost” Project will involve the installation of a 44 megawatt solar thermal addition to the power station. The solar addition will increase the amount of electricity generated by up to 44 megawatts during peak solar conditions, which will provide an additional 44,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year.

The innovative new solar project will augment the Kogan Creek Power Station’s steam generation system to increase the station’s electricity output and fuel efficiency.  It forms part of CS Energy’s commitment to producing cleaner electricity from existing coal-fired power stations, and is perfectly placed for this renewable energy partnership; being located in Queensland’s southwest corner the site is ideally suited for a solar thermal system due to its very good solar insolation rating.

Also the power station is already connected to the electricity transmission grid, which will enable the solar power to be generated directly into the network to power homes and businesses, thereby reducing wastage during energy transfer.

With a number of innovative large scale solar projects under planning for Queensland it is easy to see why experts are predicting a boom in the renewable energy sector, particularly solar power. Exciting times ahead!