Mining the sun

A disused goldmine 400 or so kilometres inland from Townsville holds the tantalising promise of solar energy that powers the grid after the sun goes down.

The project in Kidston (population: 3 or 4) is the first development to begin construction following the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Large Scale Solar Competitive Round. It’s a solar farm that one day could charge one of the world’s biggest batteries, ingeniously fashioned from the mine.

In the first episode of Rewired we drive in, meet the locals and a backpacker from Missouri who see the solar farm as a boon to the region.

Learn more about ARENA’s solar energy projects - www.arena.gov.au

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On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA has invested around $90 million in 12 large scale solar farms around the country after a competitive funding process.

Many of the projects are underway, already generating economic and social benefits for those regional and remote communities that will soon boast their very own solar farm.

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