KKR's solar-powered tomatoes lead trade in Iron Triangle

A $one hundred seventy five million solar-powered mega-greenhouse facility developing tomatoes that is subsidized by using non-public equity company KKR is bringing the most certainty of a string of tasks aiming to harness the 300 days of light every yr in the hard-hit Port Augusta vicinity in northern South Australia.

the sunshine has additionally attracted two rival $1 billion-plus proposals to construct sun energy electricity vegetation near Port Augusta, one of the 3 nearby cities which make up the Iron Triangle which additionally consist of Port Pirie, and Whyalla, which faces a likely closure of its steelworks after the collapse of Arrium.

The modern-day concept is a $1.2 billion solar-thermal energy station being proposed by means of Solastor, a renewable strength company chaired by using former Liberal party leader John Hewson. A separate undertaking subsidized by means of america organisation SolarReserve mentioned plans remaining 12 months to construct a $1 billion solar plant the usage of barely specific molten salt generation in its plant, which additionally harnesses the power of the solar.

The Sundrop Farms tomatoes challenge is within the very last ranges of construction after a main expansion which increased the dimensions of the greenhouse facility by 100 instances after supermarket giant Coles agreed to a ten-year contract to take 16,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually, with KKR ploughing $100 million into the project. A Coles spokeswoman stated on Tuesday that Sundrop Farms turned into dispatching its first deliveries of tomatoes to Coles this week, and they will be furnished to Coles retailers in Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

Sam Johnson, the Mayor of Port Augusta, said on Tuesday that the vicinity become perfectly suited to solar sports because on average there have been 300 days of sunshine every year and it became near existing power infrastructure and transport facilities.

"It makes quite a few experience," Mr Johnson says. The Sundrop Farms facility, about 15km south-east of Port Augusta, is a hive of hobby with final trials below manner and the finishing touches being placed to the ability which stretches across 20 hectares of greenhouse facilities. A spokeswoman said the facility become on path to be officially opened inside the 2nd 1/2 of 2016. Sundrop Farms makes use of solar thermal technology to strip the salt out of sea water in a desalination procedure and additionally uses the electricity of the solar to heat and funky the greenhouses.

Mr Johnson stated the financial blessings of using the energy of the sun ought to help create jobs at a time while older technology were being replaced. "we are in the proper spot". He said different locations in Western Australia with big quantities of light had been too faraway.

The sun power proposals by using Solastor and SolarReserve come at a time while Alinta, owned by using non-public equity company TPG, some weeks in the past shut down its  coal-fired power stations at Port Augusta which were operating for extra than 60 years.

The withdrawal by way of Alinta intended South Australia become depending on sun and wind power for extra than forty per cent of its strength technology capability. The kingdom is likewise able to faucet into strength produced by using Victoria's coal power stations through interconnector infrastructure.

AGL electricity on June 6 reversed a selection to scrap 4 older fuel mills at part of the Torrens Island strength plant web site in north-west Adelaide after initially pronouncing in overdue 2014 it meant to shut the ones turbines by means of 2017 because gasoline-fired power became being driven out of the country wide electricity marketplace by way of wind electricity and coal.