Solar Dawn Consortium cancels A$1.2 billion project

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The Solar Dawn Consortium in Australia has cancelled plans to develop its beleaguered A$1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) Western Downs facility, it has been announced.

The Solar Dawn project,  which involved the construction of a 250MW hybrid solar thermal and gas plant near Chinchilla, Queensland, was being developed by a consortium of companies selected by the Queensland government in June 2011. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project, led by Areva Sola, was part of the Australian Solar Flagship Program.

About 300 new jobs were expected to be created as a result of the Solar Dawn project, along with indirect support for as many as 100 jobs.

However, a briefly worded statement posted on the Solar Dawn website today confirmed the consortium was no longer “pursuing development'' of the facility.

“The Solar Dawn Consortium has today confirmed that although it remains committed to Australia's large-scale concentrated solar power industry (CSP), it will no longer be pursuing development of its proposed 250MW solar thermal power facility in South-West Queensland,'' it said.

“The announcement follows extensive discussions with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on options to move the project forward in response to dynamic market conditions.''

Earlier this year PV-Tech reported how the A$1.2 billion project – which was to begin construction in 2013 – was dealt a crippling blow after the Queensland government recalled its funding of A$75 million (US$77 million) . 

Frustrated government ministers claimed that the consortium had been given a deadline of June 30, 2012 to reach financial close but had failed to do so.

The Australian Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, said at the time: “The Solar Dawn project offers Queensland the opportunity to be at the forefront of solar thermal technology and home to one of the largest solar power stations in the world. These opportunities have to be grabbed but the Queensland Government seems content to let them slip by.”


 

Read Next

October 9, 2025
Solar PV is the world’s cheapest technology to generate electricity, according to a study from the University of Surrey, in the UK.
October 9, 2025
Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to build a 600MW solar-plus-storage project to support a new data centre to be built by Google.
October 9, 2025
Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries has agreed to acquire ReNew’s 300MW solar power unit in India for around US$246 million.
October 9, 2025
Avaada has inked an MoU with the Gujarat government to develop solar, wind, and BESS worth INR36 billion (US$405 million). 
October 9, 2025
Chinese inverter and storage manufacturer Sungrow has revealed details of its planned flotation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
October 9, 2025
Germany has awarded contracts to 490MW of solar-plus-storage projects in its latest “innovation” auction for co-located renewables.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK