Genex Power is mulling the development of a new large-scale solar photovoltaic project at the Kidston mine site, having appointed AECOM as feasibility manager and owner's engineer for the project. Further opportunities for potential EPC contractors and solar component suppliers are pending.
The feasibility study will look into the proposal to develop the Kidston Solar Project which will be co-located adjacent to Genex's proposed 330 MW Kidston Pumped Storage Project. The proposed Kidston Solar Project will have a nameplate generation capacity of up to 150 MW, and will be the largest solar farm in Australia.
According to Genex, it is looking to optimise all aspects of the Solar Project, and will be working closely with AECOM and potential EPC contractors and solar component suppliers. The proposed (up to) 150 MW of generation fits well within the carrying capacity of the new 275 kV transmission line, which is targeted to be constructed as part of the Kidston Pumped Storage Project.
If the feasibility study pans out, the development of the solar project alongside the Kidston Pumped Storage Project may be a world first in terms of building and implementing a large scale integrated renewable energy generator with a pumped storage facility.
Far north Queensland is currently a net energy importer. Genex says the location of its Kidston projects will add grid renewable energy generation and storage to the energy mix in the region, opening up a large part of Northern Queensland to future development.
The proposal will see the Kidston Solar Project constructed on top of the existing Kidston mine tailings storage facility (TSF) at the Kidston site. Originally constructed to hold mine tailings and waste rock materials from the former Kidston mining operations, the facility was designed to be geotechnically stable in the long term. It is an expanse of flat ground of approximately 300 ha, elevated 20 m above natural ground level, making it well suited for solar purposes.
Additionally, the 2009 Bureau of Meteorology Annual Average Solar Radiation map indicates the site is located in the highest solar radiation region of Australia. The Kidston Solar Project would thus benefit from a strong solar resource year-round and to operate at high energy yield factor.
Genex Power’s Managing Director Michael Addison said that developing the Kidston Solar Project will be a natural next step for the company, as it seeks to build the Kidston site into a large-scale energy hub.
“Whilst our Kidston pumped storage project remains our principal focus, the tailings storage facility at the Kidston site presents itself as an obvious and ideal solar generation platform," he said.
"Our solar initiative will be pursued in conjunction with solar PV funding initiatives currently being promoted in the market and in parallel with power purchase agreement discussions with electricity retailers and end users."
Genex has installed a solar radiation monitoring station at the Kidston site and is currently capturing radiation and other data to correlate with regionally based data sources. This information is being provided to Genex’s project designers and potential EPC suppliers to assist with project layout, PV module positioning and module angles.
Preliminary energy yield calculations show that the Kidston Solar Project will have an annual capacity factor of around 26-27% using fixed-angle solar panels, with 99% of this energy being produced during higher power demand periods. This capacity factor is currently amongst the highest in Australia, but there is the potential to further increase the capacity factor using a solar tracking system.
Genex says that other advantages of the site include existing onsite accommodation, which could be used as a workers' camp during the construction period; minimal environmental issues; since the site has already been disturbed, minimal native titles sensitivities; water supply from the nearby Kidston dam; access to onsite grid power for construction; and good existing road access.