Powerline key to North's wealth
DEVELOPMENT of a $1 billion powerline linking Townsville with Mount Isa has the potential to make North Queensland the renewable energy capital of Australia, according to Townsville Enterprises.
The organisation's general manger for economic development, Dr Lisa McDonald, said the powerline is the key to unlocking a plethora of renewable energy projects for North Queensland, including a $1.5 billion wind farm.
However, she said it was essential for legislation being blocked in the Senate by the Coalition to be passed if renewable energy projects Australia-wide were to proceed.
Dr McDonald's comments follow an announcement by Premier Anna Bligh yesterday that a feasability study would be conducted to determine whether the powerline project was viable.
The 275-300kv transmission line would cross 700km from Townsville to Chumvale, near Cloncurry, and link Mount Isa and the North West Minerals Province to the national electricity grid.
"The $1.5 billion Kennedy wind farm project is just one of a host of projects planned for North Queensland that include co-generation facilities at sugar mills as well as a small-scale hydro-electric plant," Dr McDonald said.
"The variety and number of these projects have the potential to make North Queensland the renewable energy capital of Australia.
"Our discussions with interested parties have indicated they are chomping at the bit to launch the projects, but they all hinge on the construction of a powerline linking Townsville and Mount Isa.
"Also, if the powerline proceeds, the flow-on impact in terms of attracting other industries to the region could be enormous.
"We hope the impasse in the Senate can be overcome quickly to give renewable energy proponents some certainty."
The Kennedy wind farm project is earmarked for a site near Hughenden and has the potential to supply up to 600MW of clean electricity into Australia's national electricity grid.
It is planned by Windlab, an Australian company formed in 2003 by CSIRO scientists, which have branches and projects in a number of countries inlcuding the US, Canada and South Africa.
The company is developing the Collgar Wind Farm in WA in a joint venture with Investec Bank (Australia).
The Collgar farm will consist of 111 wind turbines on a site about 25km south-east of Merredin.
Dr McDonald said Townsville Enterprise had been pushing for the powerline for a couple of years, because of its potential to unlock new mining projects around Mount Isa and renewable energy developments.
A recent BIS Shrapnel study found that proposed new mines will generate an estimated $3.45 billion in revenue to the State and Federal governments by 2015.
