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| Birdsville mechanic and roadhouse owner Peter Barnes, with the outlet of the towns geothermal power station. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen |
It is the iconic Queensland town renowned for its larrikin-packed pub and annual “Melbourne Cup of the Outback”.
However, Birdsville, population 115, is about to become the epicentre of the state’s renewable energy evolution. The Sunday Mail can reveal the tiny town near the Queensland/South Australia border will soon be predominantly powered by an expanded geothermal electricity station.
Ergon Energy will spend up to $4.5 million expanding Birdsville’s unique 80 kilowatts geothermal power station into a 200kW state-of-the-art facility.
It will cut diesel use by up to 80 per cent.
The station will provide up to 70 per cent of Birdsville’s electricity and save $340,000 a year on diesel fuel.
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