Australia’s Government announced plans to build what it says is the world’s largest solar power station with an output of 1000 megawatts (that would be enough to power about 800,000 homes, based on Bloomberg calculations). Australians Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the government will invest A$1.4 billion ($1 billion) with industry in this project which should lead to a network of solar-powered stations across the country.

Reuters wrote yesterday:
The plant would have three times the generating capacity of the current biggest solar-powered electricity plant, which is in California, Rudd said during a tour of a power station.

Tender details will be announced later in the year, and successful bidders will be named in the first half of 2010. Rudd said the project was aimed at exploiting the country’s ample sunshine, which he called “Australia’s biggest natural resource.”

I am looking forward to see this project beeing started …

Writing about Australia and projects reminds me that I wanted to post something on the new REEEP programme cycle. To stay on topic just a few words on REEEPs activities in South East Asia and Pacific:

REEEP has announced that it will fund forty-nine new clean energy projects in 25 countries, all designed to help kick-start the uptake of renewables and energy efficiency. This seventh funding round is the largest ever, representing a 46% increase over the sixth disbursement in June 2007. A total number of 4 projects to be implemented in the Pacific region were selected in the final stage of the selection process for funding:

• Hotel sector energy efficiency in Fiji (Greenlight Technology Group)
• Expansion of Minimum Energy Performance Standards & Labeling scheme to selected South Pacific Islands and energy auditing in selected North Pacific Islands (SOPAC)
• Development of new micro finance systems for existing micro finance institutions in the Pacific to increase clean energy lending (Foundation for Development Cooperation)
• Implementation of Renewable Energy Act in Tonga (Government of Tonga)