Australia’s premier science and research organisation CSIRO has described research at its Newcastle energy centre as a game-changer for the renewable energy industry.
Researchers have used solar energy to generate hot and pressurised ‘supercritical’ steam at the highest temperatures ever achieved outside of fossil fuel sources.
Supercritical solar steam is water pressurised at enormous force and heated using solar radiation.
Around 90 per cent of Australia’s electricity is generated using fossil fuel, but only a small number of power stations are based on the more advanced supercritical steam.
The world record set at the CSIRO’s Energy Centre in Newcastle this month, was at a pressure of 23.5 megapascals and temperatures up to 570 degrees Celsius.
CSIRO’s Energy Director, Dr Alex Wonhas said this milestone was a game-changer for the renewable energy industry.
“It’s like breaking the sound barrier; this step change proves solar has the potential to compete with the peak performance capabilities of fossil fuel sources.”
Project leader, Robbie McNaughton said it was the combination of pressure and temperature demonstrated at scale, that made it such a breakthrough for solar power.
He said the development meant one day the sun could be used to drive power stations instead of coal or gas.
“Well certainly that’s what we’ve like to think,” he said.
“It’s important to remember that what we’ve done is really the first step along a fairly long path still in demonstrating that we can actually do these things with solar technologies.”
“Instead of relying on burning fossil fuels to produce supercritical steam, this breakthrough demonstrates that the power plants of the future could instead be using the free, zero emission energy of the sun to achieve the same result,” Dr Wonhas said.
The $9.7 million research program is supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) which Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government is trying to close down.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said although more work was needed before the technology was ready for commercialisation, it was an important breakthrough and demonstrated the importance of research and development.
Mr Frischknecht said it brought solar thermal energy a step closer to cost competitiveness with fossil fuel generated power.
