by Allanah Leahy – EM TV Online
David McCalllum, Managing Director for Conergy Australia, spoke on the company website of the competitiveness in Australia and the Pacific in operating solar power plants.
This is attributed to solar power’s non-dependence on fuel and Mr McCallum declared the heart-shaped venture a ‘message to the government that it’s time to start loving solar’.
The 2MWp solar plant will consist of 7, 888 panels and will be situated within the northern community of Pouembout on New Caledonia’s largest island, Grand Terre.
The Guardian UK reported that over the solar plant’s projected 25-year lifespan, it is expected to alleviate up to 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, thus reducing oil, gas and coal dependence which are the island’s current, major generators of power.
McCallum described the upcoming plant as “a landmark for clean power generation, showing that we can add [a] new power plant wherever it’s required and still keep a lid on carbon emissions.
It will also probably be the world’s first beautiful PV plant and perhaps the first beautiful power station of any description, anywhere on the planet.”
Papua New Guinea has a growing relationship with solar power energy; provinces such as Rabaul, Central Province and Morobe have embarked on solar projects this year and last, and an initiative in late 2013 by Barefoot College, India, saw the venture of 10 illiterate women begin training as solar engineers.
The ‘Heart of New Caledonia’ solar plant is to be completed by the first quarter of next year.
