Learn about the development of Australia's first solar-thermal power (CSP) plant near Port Augusta, South Australia.
Concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP) is a technology that uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small area. The concentrated light is then converted into heat, which is used to generate electricity. The VS1 project will be located on land that was previously designated for the Aurora solar project. Vast Solar has been awarded a $65 million grant from ARENA and plans to commence construction in 2024. The company has retained Worley as the engineers for the project. In addition to VS1, Vast Solar intends to construct a solar methanol plant (SM1) and a hydrogen electrolyser. The Vast technology uses sodium as a heat transfer fluid in generating electricity and storing energy as heat.