CSP World

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has withdrawn a AUD60 million fund to support the planned Whyalla Solar Oasis CSP plant in South Australia after it failed to meet a number of conditions within the expected schedule.

The fund was announced by Australian Government back in 2010 to support the propposed project to build a 40 MW concentrated solar power plant in Whyalla, South Australia. The promoter of the project is a consortium comprised by NP Power, Sustainable Power Partners and Wizard Power.

The project is intended to use the 'Big Dish' technology developed by the Australian National University and commercialized by Wizard Power. The plant will use 300 units of 'Big Dish' capable to generate 66 GWh per year.

Although the project has lost the government fund, the promoters don't give up and will try to go ahead. Whyalla Councilior Eddie Hughes has said the council will work with the promoters to keep the project alive. "[It] doesn't mean the project can't go ahead, but our support for it is no longer there," reportedly said Ivor Frischknecht, ARENA CEO.

Australia, despite being one of the countries with major DNI resource and being involved in the research and development of a vast number of CSP projects, has failed to commercially deploy the technology and take advantage to develop a strong domestic industry. Only a bunch of small to medium scale projects are operational or on track while the planned large-scale projects have failed to meet financial closure, maybe due to a cumbersome grants funding process.

The largest project on track is the Kogan Creek Fresnel plant to add about 44 MW to a coal-fired plant, expected to be complete later this year. The rest are small demonstration plants as the Liddell Fresnel solar booster or the Lake Cargelligo towers.