THE Victorian government has promised a new large-scale solar power plant will be built near Mildura - assuming the project also receives federal backing.
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Premier John Brumby announced energy company TRUenergy had won a $100 million public tender to build a photovoltaic solar park big enough to power 60,000 homes. But the money, and the project, is contingent on the Mallee Solar Park being successful in attracting Commonwealth funding early next year.
The Victorian proposal is one of four photovoltaic plants shortlisted for a share of the $1.5 billion Federal Solar Flagships Program. If successful, the 180-megawatt plant could be the largest solar plant developed in Australia. It would use thin-film cadmium solar technology developed by US company Solar First.
The TRUenergy plant is the second large-scale solar proposal for Victoria's north-west. Sydney company Silex took over a proposal to build a 154-megawatt plant after the original developers, Solar Systems, went into administration last year. The Brumby government has set a target of 5 per cent of the state's energy generation coming from large-scale solar by 2020.
Mr Brumby said the TRUenergy plant would create 200 jobs during construction and 20 once the plant was fully operational in 2015.
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu hoped that the plant would be built, but said the state government had made solar proposals in 2002 and 2006 and failed to deliver. ''I think Victorians are entitled to say: 'We'll believe it when we see it','' he said.
