The University of Queensland will assist RATCH-Australia Corporation Limited (RAC) assess the viability of converting the coal-fired Collinsville Power Station owned by RAC to a hybrid solar thermal / gas power station. RAC will partner with UQ in the $5.6 million feasibility study, supported by $2.5 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's (ARENA) Emerging Renewables Program.

The 180MW Collinsville power station was built in 1968, and refurbished in 1998. Under the new plans, it will become a 30MW gas / solar thermal plant. RAC owns the Collinsville plant, among a total 815MW portfolio of Australian power generating assets, including three wind farms. RAC is owned by a large Thai power generation company, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding PCL, and Transfield Services Ltd.

On the Collinsville study, RAC will partner with UQ to better understand factors impacting on the feasibility, including yield and dispatch forecasting, cleaning requirements, power system stability and transient effects, energy economics and fossil fuel boiler integration. As part of the overall project RAC will examine the feasibility of using Novatec's Supernova Linear Fresnel Solar Thermal technology to generate steam to be used in a steam turbine at Collinsville. The feasibility study is expected to be complete in early 2015.

Final reports

Other publications