Australia set to triple solar power capacity after government awards funding for new plants
Australia wants to double its large-scale renewable energy generation to 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020
The Australian government will help fund a dozen large-scale solar projects worth A$1 billion (US$770 million), as it looks to boost the use of clean power in a coal-rich country, which is one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters per head.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) said on Thursday the projects would triple Australia’s large-scale solar capacity to 720 megawatts, and deliver a 10th of the new capacity needed to meet its 2020 renewable energy target.
The government will provide A$92 million for 12 projects, which includes three proposals from private French firm Neoen SA, and one each from Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and Infigen Energy.
Australia wants to double its large-scale renewable energy generation to 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020, which means by then solar, wind and hydroelectricity would have to make up nearly a quarter of the country’s power generation.
We aren’t quite there yet, but the commercial viability of large-scale solar in Australia is tantalisingly close
The government’s tenders to back solar projects have helped build momentum in the industry and forced companies to become more competitive, which will help push the sector closer to being commercially viable, Arena CEO Ivor Frischknecht said.