Vast Solar has joined forces with the Queensland University of Technology to optimise its planned $600 million clean energy project in Mount Isa.
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The North West Queensland Hybrid Power Plant will use concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) technology based on mirrors which will integrate with a solar PV system, a large-scale battery and gas engines.
Because performance would be affected by the cleanliness of the solar mirrors, and the selection of the plant materials it is working with the QUT Operations & Maintenance and Advanced Materials teams, funded by the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute.
The O&M group has already developed techniques for predicting how fast the mirrors get dirty (the soiling rate), assessing soiling impact on plant performance, and optimising cleaning activities.
The Advanced Materials team is helping solve fundamental material compatibility issues with important implications for critical parts of the plant.
Vast Solar product manager Dr Bruce Leslie said the company was pleased to see the technology being improved through that application of QUT's work.
"We have been using local contractors to help us conduct an ongoing feasibility study which is looking very promising," Dr Leslie said.
"The QUT team found the soiling rates are significantly below that experienced at other CSP sites around the world, reinforcing Mount Isa as an excellent location for this power plant."
Vast Solar says the North West Queensland Hybrid Power Plant will deliver secure, reliable, low cost and low emission power to Mount Isa 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year.
It is expected to produce 85 per cent clean energy and use more than 80 per cent less fuel than current gas-fired generators.
Vast Solar says lower fuel costs and the plant's 30-year operational life mean the $600 million upfront investment will deliver significantly cheaper energy than alternate baseload generation options over the lifetime of the project.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
