Vast Renewables Achieves Final Technology Milestone in Solar Thermal Development
Vast Renewables has successfully completed large-scale testing of a concentrated solar thermal power receiver tower, which will be part of a 30 MW / 288 MWh solar and energy storage project planned for South Australia.
The company, known for its expertise in concentrated solar thermal power (CSP), has finalized the prototyping of a “first-of-its-kind” receiver tower that integrates solar power generation with a sodium-based energy gathering system, along with a molten salt storage system. This innovative setup allows the energy produced to be utilized either as dispatchable power or heat.
The receiver tower, designed and manufactured at Vast’s production facility in Goodna, Queensland, represents the last component of its CSP technology to undergo operational-scale testing. According to Vast, this design is expected to provide more efficient, cost-effective, and lower-risk dispatchable clean energy than any current market alternatives. The company highlighted that its “modular and repeatable” design facilitates rapid construction and easy commissioning on-site. Moreover, the design minimizes energy losses and incorporates limited moving parts, ensuring reliable long-term performance.
The validation of the receiver tower marks a significant technical milestone for Vast’s CSP solution, which employs multiple receiving towers surrounded by fields of mirrors, known as heliostats, to concentrate and capture solar heat. The high-temperature heat is transferred using liquid sodium and stored in molten salt, allowing the energy to be harnessed as either electricity or heat.
Vast Renewables plans to deploy this technology at utility scale in its VS1 project, located near Port Augusta, South Australia. This project, which has received support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, will consist of a 30 MW concentrated solar thermal power plant with over eight hours of energy storage capacity. Once operational, the facility will contribute energy to the national grid and support a co-located green methanol production facility.
The advancements made with the receiver tower are crucial for the financial closure of the VS1 project, with a final investment decision anticipated in the coming months. Craig Wood, CEO of Vast Renewables, stated, “This innovation in our receiver tower is driving even greater performance from our clean energy solution. We’re proud of the breakthroughs we’ve achieved and the immense potential our technology has to play a vital role in the world’s decarbonization efforts.”
Vast believes that CSP can significantly contribute to Australia’s energy transition, emphasizing that its long-duration energy storage capabilities and dispatchable capacity will be essential in complementing intermittent solar PV and wind energy. Wood added, “Our projects aim to foster the growth of a domestic CSP industry while creating export opportunities to deliver Australian green technology to clean energy projects worldwide.”
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