The installation will also be the largest solar power project southern hemisphere.
Construction of the $104.7 million (€76 million) project, which is being supported by the Australian and Queensland governments, is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2011, with commercial operation planned for 2013.
“We are proud to be working with AREVA Solar, and applying its Australian-pioneered technology to a project that has the potential to set the international benchmark for the generation of cleaner electricity from existing coal-fired power stations,” said CS Energy’s Chief Executive, David Brown.
While Anil Srivastava, CEO of Areva Renewables, suggested that “the Kogan Creek solar boost project demonstrates CS Energy’s confidence in our solar technology”.
“It is a key step in our strategy to become the world leader in concentrated solar power solutions,” Srivastava said.
At a press conference held at the Kogan Creek site on Queensland, Austrailia's western Darling Downs, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the project could be one of many under the nation’s new carbon tax scheme.
“I am very confident this project is going to be a standout -- a standout in Australia, a standout in the world -- about how power generation can be changed to give us a cleaner-energy future,” Gillard said.
Adding solar energy to the Kogan Creek power station will increase its output by up to 44 MW in peak solar conditions to the current 750 MW and will avoid the production of 35,600 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, the companies said.
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