Carbon spent year successfully proving up its keyseam UCG technology at Bloodwood Creek, generating five megawatts at its pilot plant and wanted to step that up to a 25 petajoule per annum operation as part of its Blue Gum gas project but the ban enacted earlier this year ended that dream.

Instead it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Photon Energy to evaluate the development of a large scale solar power generation plant with up to 20MW at Bloodwood Creek.

As part of the agreement, the feasibility of an innovative power storage system on the Bloodwood site will also be assessed.

The assessment will explore the use of the site’s existing underground infrastructure to store energy for use during peak energy periods.

“This is a positive step for the Bloodwood Creek site and will help us realise some of the site’s potential, contributing to Queensland’s and Australia’s growing renewable energy needs,” Carbon CEO Morne Engelbrecht said.

Photon Energy Australia managing director Michael Gartner said the MOU contemplated the potential of developing an innovative new energy storage technology helping Australia meet its renewable energy targets.

“Solar power is an integral part of Queensland reaching its ambitious renewable energy target of 50% renewable energy in the state by 2030,” Gartner said.

Engelbrecht said the location had both a connection to the grid and supportive infrastructure and was well positioned for solar energy production.

For the past eight years Photon has been building and commissioning solar power plants in Australia and Europe and today operate more than 154 MW of solar power plants.

If the project goes ahead it will create scores of jobs during the construction phase, as well as several permanent skilled jobs to operate and maintain the plant over its anticipated 25-year life span.