{"id":14090,"date":"2017-08-15T07:58:37","date_gmt":"2017-08-14T21:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=14090"},"modified":"2024-10-04T06:32:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T21:02:42","slug":"solar-thermal-port-augusta-mb0167","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-thermal-port-augusta-mb0167\/","title":{"rendered":"Huge Solar Thermal Power Plant Project Secured For Port Augusta"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

Kudos to Repower Port Augusta, which campaigned hard for years for a solar thermal power station.<\/p><\/div>\n

A 150MW solar thermal power plant to be built near Port Augusta in South Australia will be the largest of its type in the world and supply electricity even when the sun isn’t shining.<\/p>\n

The South Australian Government has awarded SolarReserve a contract for electricity supply from the facility, named Aurora. SolarReserve offered the lowest-cost option of all short-listed bids, with the cost of electricity to be no more than $78\/MWh and expected to be $75\/MWh.<\/p>\n

Aurora<\/a> will consist of a vast array of mirrors (heliostats), reflecting and concentrating sunlight onto a receiver on top of a central large tower through which salt is circulated. The salt is heated to between 288\u2070C to 566\u2070C and is stored in large insulated tanks at ground level.<\/p>\n

As electricity is required, the molten salt is pumped through a heat exchanger to create super-heated steam, which then powers a conventional steam turbine. Dry cooling is used for the steam cycle (which is a closed loop system), preserving water.<\/p>\n

The molten salt ( sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate) will never need replacing or topping up during the entire life of the plant (30+ years). When it is eventually decommissioned, the salt can be used as a high-grade fertiliser.<\/p>\n

1,100 Megawatt-Hours Of Energy Storage<\/h2>\n

The Aurora facility will deliver 495 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually\u00a0 – the equivalent of around 5% of South Australia’s energy needs and enough to power approximately 90,000 homes – and avoid 200,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.<\/p>\n

Aurora will incorporate 8 hours of full-load storage (1,100 megawatts-hours), enabling the facility to dispatch electricity during unfavourable daytime conditions and through the night.<\/p>\n

\"Aurora<\/p>\n

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said the project will enhance the state’s reputation as a leader in\u00a0clean, cheap renewable energy.<\/p>\n

“We are supporting this nation-leading renewable energy project because it will deliver more\u00a0competition into our energy market and put downward pressure on power prices for households and businesses,” he stated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A Sweet Victory For Port Augusta<\/h2>\n

The Repower Port Augusta<\/a> team were understandably ecstatic with the news – they have campaigned for years for solar thermal in their region and said this development will be “a powerful symbol for the rest of Australia that we can have renewable energy on demand, day and night”.<\/p>\n