Feasibility Study: Solar and Battery Power Plant in NSW, Australia

This business case analyzes the feasibility of constructing a solar and battery power plant in NSW, Australia. The project aims to enhance energy reliability by enabling solar farms to generate electricity during peak periods, reducing reliance on sunlight hours. The report includes a detailed project definition, scope description, constraints, and dependencies. It explores options analysis, evaluating the construction of a solar and battery plant against nuclear power technology, ultimately recommending the solar option. The project approach covers project management strategy, governance, and reporting structures. Budget, program, and risk analyses are presented, alongside a quality management plan and benefits realization plan. The report outlines project objectives, critical success factors, and organizational changes needed, providing a comprehensive overview of the project's feasibility and management strategies, with a budget constraint of $275 million and a timeline of one year. This comprehensive analysis provides a roadmap for successful project execution, ensuring the project's objectives are met within the specified timeframe and budget.

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Business Case
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Student Name: ######## ########
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Team/Group: #############
Course: [enter name of course enrolled]
Unit Coordinator/
Lecturer: Grant Axman-Friend ([e-mail])
Institution: Queensland University of Technology
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INSTRUCTIONS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The paper helps in reflecting on the construction of solar and battery power plant. It is found
that the main aim of the project of the project provide greater reliability of energy by
allowing the solar farm to produce electricity during the peak period. The report that is
created helps in reflecting on the budget and cost plan for the entire project and helps in
showcasing the timeline for the project. In addition to this, proper quality management plan,
communication plan as well as benefit realization plan was created for the project that reflects
the project uses all the standards of project quality and uses proper communication strategies
for finishing the power plant construction on time.
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Business Case
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................3
1 PROJECT NEED...............................................................................................................6
1.1 PROJECT NEED.........................................................................................................6
1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES............................................................................................6
1.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF’S)...............................................................6
1.4 ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE................................................................................6
2 OPTIONS ANALYSIS......................................................................................................7
2.1 OPTIONS CONSIDERED..........................................................................................7
2.2 OPTIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA......................................................................7
2.3 OPTIONS EVALUATION.........................................................................................7
2.4 RECOMMENDED OPTION......................................................................................8
3 PROJECT DEFINITION...................................................................................................8
3.1 SCOPE DESCRIPTION..............................................................................................8
3.2 CONSTRAINTS AND DEPENDENCIES.................................................................9
3.3 SCOPE MANAGEMENT...........................................................................................9
3.4 PROJECT DELIVERABLES...................................................................................10
3.5 PROJECT KPI’S.......................................................................................................10
4 PROJECT APPROACH...................................................................................................11
4.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY..............................................................11
4.1.1 PROJECT STRUCTURE...................................................................................11
4.1.2 PROJECT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK...................................................12
4.1.3 PROJECT REPORTING STRUCTURE...........................................................12
4.2 PROCUREMENT STRATEGY...............................................................................13
4.3 COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.....13
5 BUDGET, PROGRAM AND RISK................................................................................14
5.1 TIMING / PROJECT READINESS..........................................................................14
5.2 BUDGET/COST ANALYSIS AND FUNDING STRATEGY................................16
5.3 RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY........................................16
5.4 PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY............................................17
5.5 PROJECT COMPLETION STRATEGY..................................................................17
5.6 BENEFITS REALISATION PLAN..........................................................................18
6 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................20
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APPENDIX A..........................................................................................................................22
A.1 PROJECT SCHEDULE............................................................................................22
A.2 PROJECT COST PLAN............................................................................................22
A.3 Benefi relaization plan...............................................................................................23
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1 PROJECT NEED
1.1 PROJECT NEED
The paper focuses on the construction of a battery and solar power plant within NSW,
Australia. The project aims to provide greater reliability of energy by allowing the solar farm
to produce electricity during the peak period rather depending on the sunlight hours only.
This project is mainly required for increasing the energy security for the electrical market and
generally also helps in giving additional electricity supply over the entire years. In addition to
this, it is found that this development will help in properly offsetting some of the recent
closures for the various thermal generators within the entire region for bringing a number of
opportunities to those individuals who generally looks for transition from fossil fuels into the
renewable energy sector.
1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The project objectives include:
 To construct a solar and batter power plant in NSW, Australia
 To provide proper energy reliability and allowing the solar farm to produce electricity
during peak time rather only during the sunlight hours
 To create transition from fossil fuels into the renewable energy sector
1.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF’S)
The CSF’s are elaborated below:
 If the entire work gets accomplished on time then the project can be considered to be
successful.
 If the budget expenditure is not more than $275 million then one can analyze the
project as successful.
1.4 ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE
The organization that is undertaking the project make some changes within its structure,
operational methods, technologies and strategies in the entire organization so that they can be
capable of undertaking the solar plant construction work successfully. The changes that is
done by the organization is for constructing the largest solar as well as battery power plant
which will be constructed in NSW, Australia.
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2 OPTIONS ANALYSIS
2.1 OPTIONS CONSIDERED
It is found that for generating different types of non-renewable energy source including
coal as well as natural gas are utilized from the past few years. However due to the
continuous technology development in the present time have the government have taken the
initiative of using renewable energy for avoiding the challenges like depletion of non-
renewable energy source as well as pollution. There are a number of options through which
the government can reduce the utilization of different types of non-renewable energy and the
options are listed below:
 Solar power plant construction
 Use of Nuclear power technology for the production of electricity
2.2 OPTIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA
Criteria No Criteria Weightage
1 Does not produce pollution 20%
2 Helps in the process of
electricity generation by
using renewable energy
50%
3 Minimizes the uses of energy
that cannot be renewed and
thus helps in saving the
environment
30%
2.3 OPTIONS EVALUATION
The different types of options those are helpful in reducing the utilization of non-
renewable energy is mainly elaborated below:
Construction of solar as well as battery plant for the generation of electricity: The
solar as well as battery power plant that is required to be constructed in NSW, Australia for
providing energy reliability as well as for allowing proper solar farm for producing electricity
during the peak period rather only during the sunlight hours. The development generally
plays an important role in properly offsetting some of the thermal generators. In addition to
this, the transition from the fossil fuels to te renewable sources of energy are done.
Utilization of nuclear power technology: It is found that nuclear energy is generally
originated from the spitting of various types of uranium atoms which is one of the processes
that are known as fission. It is found that nuclear energy is generally utilized in order to
generate electricity. Moreover, it is found that utilization of various types of radioactive
materials and their safe disposal is considered to be very much difficult as well as expensive.
Moreover, local thermal pollution can also help in affecting the marine life.
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Criteria Construction of solar and
battery power plant
Utilization of nuclear
power technology
Does not produce pollution Yes No
Helps in the process of
electricity generation by
using renewable energy
Yes Yes
Minimizes the uses of energy
that cannot be renewed and
thus helps in saving the
environment
Yes Yes
2.4 RECOMMENDED OPTION
After the evaluation of the two topics, it is found that construction of solar as well as
battery power plant is the best option. This is because due to the construction of the solar and
batter power plant, no pollution is generally generated within the environment whereas it is
found that the use of various types of radioactive materials and their safe disposal is
considered to be very much difficult as well as expensive. On the other hand, it is found that
generation of electricity is mainly generated with the help of solar energy. It is found that the
project helps in providing greater reliability of energy by providing the solar farm for
properly producing electricity during the peak period rather fully dependent on the sunlight
hours.
3 PROJECT DEFINITION
3.1 SCOPE DESCRIPTION
In-scope
The in-scope of the project is listed below:
 Designing of the solar power plant
 Proper preparation of the site
 Mounting the entire structure as well as construction of the panel
 Construction of solar panel as well as electrical construction
 Electrical collection system as well as project substation
Out-scope
 The information related with the various suppliers is generally not included within the
report
 The workers who are mainly associated with the project will be not trained during the
progress of the project
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3.2 CONSTRAINTS AND DEPENDENCIES
Project constraints are considered as the limitations within the project that generally can
obstruct the progress off the project and therefore the expected result will not be achieved.
The constraints of the project are elaborated below:
Time: The time constraint generally assists in referring to the entire project schedule of
the project for completion including the deadlines for each of the phase of the entire project
as well as date for rollout for achieving the final project deliverable. It is needed to finish the
entire project within year of time and if the project does not get accomplished on time.
Budget: The cost of the entire project generally comprises of all the different types of
financial resources for accomplishing the activities. It generally encompasses different costs
of vendors, labours as well as quality control. It is necessary to complete the project within
$275 million otherwise the entire project will face a lot of financial challenges.
Scope: The scope generally helps in defining the goals, features as well as deliverables
for accomplishing the project work. Improper utilization of scope generally causes a lot of
issues including delay and budget shortfall.
3.3 SCOPE MANAGEMENT
The steps which are utilized for effectively managing the scope are illustrated below:
Collect requirement process: It is necessary to collect various types of requirements
of the project effectively. The output of the entire requirement must be documented by
categorizing the functional and non-requirements of the solar power plant.
Define scope process: For defining the scope procedure of the entire project quite
effectively. It will generally include a number of procedures so that the construction of the
power plant will be done effectively within the expected time.
Creation of WBS: Thirdly, the WBS assists in properly categorizing the work related
activities of the project such that the work activities get completed on time. Moreover, the
WBS assists in visualizing the entire project effectively with the help of work breakdown
structure.
Validation of scope process: The validation procedure generally helps the business
stakeholders for signing off the work breakdown structure. It is generally helps in making
sure that one generally has a proper procedure in achieving sign off.
Control scope process: The control scope procedure generally helps in making sure
that there must be an effective change control if the entire scope requires to be change. It
generally helps in covering the scope in order to properly check what is generally needed to
be delivered.
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3.4 PROJECT DELIVERABLES
The project deliverables are listed below:
 Engineering report for the project
 Designing different types of documents
 Design review as well as tender document
 Different types of equipment’s as well as tools
 Progress report as well as usability report of the project
3.5 PROJECT KPI’S
Project Objective / Critical Success
Factor
KPI’s
Completed within 1 year S: Completion of the project activities
within time
M: The entire project can be tracked
A: The project manager takes the
responsibility of schedule tracking
R: The success factor is considered to
be realistic
T: The project will complete effectively
within 1 year of time.
Budget of $275 million S: The work will get accomplished
within the budget
M: The cost of each project activities
can be tracked
A: The financial manager keeps track
on the project expenditure
R: The success factor of the project
needs to be determined
T: accomplishment of the project
within the provided time.
Quality Satisfaction S: How well the progresses of the
project
M: Proper tracking of the project cost
A: Work satisfaction to client
R: The success factor of the project
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needs to be determined
T: During the quality analysis
procedure
Effectiveness of the project S: Informing relevant stakeholder
timely
M: Regular briefing is required
A: Tracking will be done by the project
manger
R: The success factor of the project
helps in reflecting this objective as
realistic
T: After the solar plant construction is
over.
4 PROJECT APPROACH
4.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
4.1.1 PROJECT STRUCTURE
Figure 1: Project structure
(Source: Created by Author)
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4.1.2 PROJECT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
This depicts the project decision’s that were made by the management framework. It
can be said that project governance is a vital element of the entire project since there are lot
of responsibilities and decisions an organisation should take to fulfil the project. Therefore,
the project governance mainly helps in providing proper framework of decision making
which is very much robust for properly governing the capital investment of an organization.
Few factors of good project governance are: -
Have Clear Plans: Each and every project requires a perfect plan with proper
instruction. It’s the responsibility of the project manager to make a clear view what will be
the goal of the company.
Have Sponsors: Usually a good governance framework requires some good investors
and sponsors. It’s the role of sponsors to find the business case, and they are appointed during
the beginning of the project. These are the people who engaged themselves for finding
resources and creating vision for the team or company. Sponsors are the main decision
makers and risk takers on the project.
Agree on project Goals: The management, project sponsors and the stakeholders must
have an agreement on the purpose and the project goal. It also helps in stating the issue that
the project will generally solve in order to achieve the desired outcome of the project such
that the goal must remain measurable. A clear and appropriate goal wills definite help to
define the project scope.
Documents only what required: Documentation is an essential part to run any specific
project. Data documentation consists of 3 parts:
• Manage project
• Resolve disputes
• Get paid
4.1.3 PROJECT REPORTING STRUCTURE
The project reporting structure groups staff of the organisation according to their work
function. There is a hierarchy of different roles performing in a project. At the top there will
be board members, mangers and at the end the staffs of the company are allocated. It is done
to establish line of authority which results in quick decision making and approval. It makes
the communication much more effective and thus the members or staffs of the origination
gain more experience by working in different fields. There are different phases in this
structure as in every step unique responsibility were assigned to accomplish which further
results in better planning executing task. This benefits the company a lot while there is an
ongoing project.
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