Silex suspends 100 MW solar project

Silex Systems has suspended plans for the 100 MW Mildura solar power station, partly due to the uncertainty surrounding the RET.

“The decision was based on a number of factors, including low wholesale electricity prices and the uncertainty surrounding the Renewable Energy Target,” said Silex. With this, the $75m funding from ARENA and $35 million funding from the Victorian Government is also being terminated.

Silex’s subsidiary Solar Systems is exploring alternatives to further develop the Mildura site on a smaller scale, and will continue discussions with ARENA and the Victorian Government regarding potential funding support for its concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) ‘Dense Array’ dish technology and other possible Australian-based projects. The 100 MW facility would have featured 2000 dishes and provided power output sufficient for up to 40,000 homes.

Silex CEO and Managing Director Dr Michael Goldsworthy said: “After careful consideration of project economics, we have decided to reassess plans for the Mildura 100 MW Solar Power Station. Since we launched the 1.5 MW Mildura Demonstration Facility in June last year, we have captured a great deal of useful data and are now investigating alternative opportunities to build on the outstanding work already achieved at the Mildura site.”

“We acknowledge and appreciate the support and funding that has been provided to date by the federal and Victorian Governments.”

“We believe that concentrated photovoltaic technology has a strong future in delivering clean, low-cost energy to supplement base load power in many suitable regions around the world and we continue to assess deployment of our unique ‘Dense Array’ dish technology in prospective offshore markets,” Dr Goldsworthy added.