Turning the tables on power

Why be a taker when you are well set up to be a giver? Of electricity that is. An announcement by world top 3 renewable energy producer Iberdrola that it would build a 1000MWh wind farm near Hughenden has been welcomed by Copperstring-2 Chairman, Townsville based electrical engineer John O’Brien. Copperstring-2 is a private venture that promises to connect the north west minerals province to the national grid. Despite the northern east coast taking base-load power from Stanwell Power Station west of Rockhampton, the region west of the Great Dividing Range has been isolated from the national grid. The APA owned Leichhardt and Diamantina gas turbine power stations in Mount Isa generate around 320MW to power the region. Prospective generation hub Irony aside, the advent of the Iberdrola and other renewable bids in the region could make Copperstring-2 a vehicle delivering power east instead of taking power west said Mr O’Brien. CopperString Chairman John O'Brien “To be honest, that was a very strong theme of the Townsville Enterprise Conference, is that north Queensland will become effectively the energy hub because of great resources we've got from solar and wind. “Unlike a lot of the renewable developments on the East Coast, where there is a lot of competition for the land use, there isn't that same competition for land use when you head west. “So that there's very much a complimentary development of the renewable generation with the industrial development and the other uses of the land and on that corridor. “There’s a real push at the moment for that whole clean industrial ecosystem, basically from Mount Isa across the corridor and combining with Townsville.” Related: CopperString powers through approvals process The combined development of renewable energy generation and better distribution channels will place north Queensland on par with central Queensland said Mr O’Brien. Planning, execution and delivery of the copperstring-2 concept was 98 percent complete said Mr O’Brien with the company working through the regulatory coverage. “Because Mount Isa is not covered by that, because it's an isolated system at the moment. It's not covered by the national electricity law. “So there has to be legislation to bring the north west into the national electricity market and to cover the regulation of the CopperString network. “And we're working very closely with the state on that process at the moment.”

Turning the tables on power

Industry Queensland

Related News

Changing of the guard for regional development group

Liftoff for survey hoped to bring game-changing results

Savannah eyes Electric Light gold exploration target

Get access to breaking mining news, now.