Vast Solar wins US backing for solar concentrated energy

Australian renewable energy company Vast Solar is part of a US grouping that has received US$2.3 million from the US government to develop its concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) technology.

The company is developing modular solar thermal power, utilising liquid sodium as the solar heat transfer fluid.

This is being deployed in VS1 in Port Augusta, South Australia, a 30MW concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) plant, which is supported with $110 million in concessional financing from the federal government.

Vast Solar CEO Craig Wood took to social media and said: “The funding is part of $US24 million in grants awarded recently by the US Department of Energy to advance CSP technologies, which use solar energy to generate heat for electricity production and industrial processing.”

Vast Solar is part of a solar led by Us company, Solar Dynamics which specialises in CSP plant optimisation.

Their project aims to to develop next generation to help cut emissions at big industrial sites.

Picture: Vast Solar