The proposed concentrated solar power project (CSP) project would be based on Abengoa’s tower technology.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide Abengoa with USD 420,000 in funding to conduct a feasibility study of a proposed concentrated solar power (CSP) project in Western Australia.
The 20 MW CSP project would utilize a solar power tower design and incorporate thermal energy storage. The project would supply electricity to a mining operation and the rural community of Perenjori, and one of the benefits would be to eliminate the need for grid expansion.
According to ARENA, Abengoa will consider using Australian CSP technology for the plants mirrors (heliostats). “Importantly, Abengoa is considering elements of CSIRO’s solar thermal technology, which was developed with ARENA support,” notes ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht.
“It’s another example of how ARENA invests across the innovation chain to bring emerging Australian technologies towards commercialization.”
ARENA states that it chose Abengoa due to the company’s track record of successful CSP development in other nations.
Results of the project study are expected to be delivered in April 2015. A previous ARENA study found that CSP could eliminate the need for grid augmentation in more than 70% of cases examined.
