Solar Energy | Cloncurry Solar Power Station
It’s hot at Cloncurry in Outback Queensland. In fact, Cloncurry boasts the hottest Australian day in recorded memory and it’s the perfect site for a proposed solar thermal power station. It seems like the perfect plan for a town that once recorded a temperature of 53 degrees Celsius in the shade way back in 1889.
A 10 megawatt power station has been planned by the Queensland state government at a cost of A$7 million. The hope is that the power plant will be able to supply power for the entire town.
The new solar thermal power station will work by reflecting sunlight off 8,000 mirrors onto graphite blocks. The blocks will then have water pumped through them to generate steam which will be passed at high pressure through turbines. These turbines will then produce electricity. The idea behind using the graphite blocks is that they will remain hot well after the sun has set and will continue to produce electricity into the night.
In terms of annual energy produced from the power station, it is estimated that about 30 million kilowatt hours or electricity will be delivered per year. The Cloncurry Solar Power Station is expected to be in operation by 2010 with development of the project to be undertaken by Ergon Energy.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Although Cloncurry is widely regarded as holding the record for the highest recorded temperature in Australia (53.1°C), this measurement was made under makeshift conditions (‘in an improvised screen made from a beer crate’ – Wikipedia) and may equate to 47-49°C under standard conditions.
Interesting to note that Cloncurry has a population of 2384, and the proposed solar facility will have 54 towers, equating to one tower for every 44 residents
The total cost is actually $31 m, which includes $7m from the QLD government.