In 2013, Alinta Energy announced that it had abandoned plans to establish a solar-thermal plant in Port Augusta to replace its coal-fired powered stations in Port Augusta with a solar thermal plant. But in January 2014, the company announced that it would go ahead with a feasibility study, partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the South Australian Government, into the plan.

Now, Alinta Energy says that a solar thermal power generation plant in South Australia is not commercially viable and has abandoned the feasibility study.

Alinta says that the project would only be feasible under improved energy market conditions and with more advanced solar thermal technology.

Alinta plans to close down its two Port Augusta coal-fired power stations and the Leigh Creek coal mine in South Australia’s north, with the loss of about 400 jobs, as early as March 2016.