The Federal Government has approved construction of the $104.7 million Kogan Creek Solar Boost project near Chinchilla in Queensland.

 

The Government will contribute $34.9 million to the  project, which will be the largest integration of solar technology with a coal-fired power station in the world. The solar system will be built at the site of an existing coal-fired power station using Australian-pioneered solar thermal energy technology.

 

The integration of the innovative solar technology will save 35,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year,  producing an extra 44,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually.

 

The project will create up to 120 jobs when building work starts later this year.  The technology supplier, AREVA Solar, plans to manufacture the solar hardware locally,

and the new facility is expected to be operational by 2013.

 

The Australian Government funding is provided through the $5 billion Clean Energy Initiative.