By HARRY CLARKE
STAKEHOLDERS involved in a unique, $890 million renewable energy project underway in outback Queensland hope its innovative business model will bring new manufacturing employment opportunities to the region and ensure its host community receives stable and long term economic benefits, which critics say isn’t being delivered by other large wind farm and solar farm developments in the state.
Barcaldine Regional Council (BRC) and the Queensland Government are investing close to $9 million building “trunk infrastructure” to unlock renewable energy development in the state’s central west and create a vertically integrated, net-zero industrial hub powered by cheap electricity.
The Barcaldine Renewable Energy Zone (BREZ) is described by developer Sunshot Industries as a “movement” enabling regional manufacturing operations to reap the benefits of green energy by subverting the cost of expensive grid electricity and taking power directly from solar and wind generators.
The BREZ, to be based at a council-owned site outside Barcaldine, will comprise a 90MW solar farm, an 80MW wind farm and an 80,000 tonne biomass thermal converter and will feed power to “tenant” businesses based on site.
Tenants include a urea producer, a horticultural operation, a tyre recycling plant and a native oils manufacturer.
“A number of years ago all the mayors of western Queensland came to see me and said ‘how can we use our own renewable energy resources – the best solar in the world and very good wind – for jobs,’” said Sunshot Industry chairman, Professor Ross Garnaut.
“Our big problem is jobs. We haven’t had any new ones for a generation or two and our kids and grandkids end up in Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne.
“There is a way forward. Barcaldine’s got some advantages. It’s connected to the big Queensland grid through a transmission line, it’s well located for transport, it shares with the whole of western Queensland its magnificent sun, and it’s adjacent to the wind resources west of the Great Divide.
“There’s opportunities for a small town to be part of the bigger story and that’s what we’re bringing together in the BREZ.”
The Barcaldine council has spent $400,000 on a feasibility study for the BREZ project and has allocated $1 million to purchase land for development.
The Queensland Government will provide the council with $7 million to establish necessary infrastructure at the site such as road, water and sewerage connections, as well as connection to the electricity grid for development and backup requirements.
Once completed, the BREZ is intended to be an isolated, net zero emissions operation that sustains its variety of tenant manufacturing businesses.
The required $883 million will come predominantly from through capital investment from Sunshot Industries and its parent company, ZEN Energy, as well as from the 12 businesses which have committed their involvement.
It’s tipped to create about 1,000 jobs during construction and sustain 500 ongoing jobs.
A key feature of the BREZ will be the trade of energy-generating waste products between the individual manufacturing companies involved. For example, carbon dioxide released from biomass pyrolysis can be used in horticulture, while wood chips can generate power through biochar mechanisms.
“The support for an industrial precinct using renewable energy in Barcaldine will extend the new era of Queensland development west of the Great Divide,” Garnaut said.
“The BREZ will provide a model for zero emissions rural development throughout Queensland and Australia.
“Barcaldine was chosen as the site for the first rural renewable energy industrial zone because of its existing energy infrastructure, access to rail and road and strong support from local and state Government.
“The industries in the BREZ will be globally competitive, relying on low energy and materials costs for sales.
“They will be sustainable, increasing in value and scale as the world moves to zero net emissions. Employment and population in Barcaldine and the surrounding region will be able to grow after generations of decline”.
The BREZ will not be the first major renewable energy project in Queensland’s central west, but will be the first of its kind in rural Australia.
The federal government subsidised construction of the $70 million, 25MW Barcaldine Solar Farm and the $33 million, 15MW Longreach Solar Farm, which were completed in 2016 and 2021 respectively.
The Caller last month revealed considerable scepticism within local governments about the long term community benefits delivered by major renewable projects.
Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg said construction provided a quick “sugar hit” effect to the rural economies but didn’t result in ongoing employment for locals.
Barcaldine mayor Sean Dillon (pictured) said he believed the BREZ model could prove that renewable energy could attract manufacturing industries seeking cheap power directly from the generator and create ongoing employment for locals.
“We’ve had three solar farms established – two at Barcaldine and one at Longreach – and outside the construction phase there was no local employment generated,” he said.
“A traditional power station employs people, which is good for the community in upgrading skills and providing employment, but with solar and wind there’s no benefit to us, so why would we want these things here?
“Both the State Government and Barcaldine Regional Council committed funds to the BREZ feasibility studies and, at both a high level and under detailed analysis, it very, very clearly shows that this model can work given the opportunity.
“We’ve had three solar farms established – two at Barcaldine and one at Longreach – and outside the construction phase there was no local employment generated,” he said.
“A traditional power station employs people, which is good for the community in upgrading skills and providing employment, but with solar and wind there’s no benefit to us, so why would we want these things here?
“Both the State Government and Barcaldine Regional Council committed funds to the BREZ feasibility studies and, at both a high level and under detailed analysis, it very, very clearly shows that this model can work given the opportunity.
“It’ll be a bit of a test case for how regional communities can harness the economic power as well as the physical power of renewable energy operations.
“I think people in Western Queensland don’t really buy into the target setting or reaching, but they will buy into the economics given the right opportunity.”
