Australian researchers to trial flat-packed, lower-cost concentrated solar technology

The University of South Australia (UniSA) has teamed up with concentrated solar thermal (CST) specialists Impacts Renewable Energy and Charles Sturt University (CSU) on the deployment of a project they say will “transform Australia’s industrial heat sector.”

The three organisations this week announced plans to deploy a novel CST project utilising proprietary plastic mirror technology, capable of generating enough heat required for several heavy and agricultural industries.

“Unfortunately, most renewable energy technologies – like photovoltaics – fall short of meeting the high-temperature demands of these sectors. Our plastic-based CST technology fills that gap and does so with significant cost and installation advantages” explained UniSA research fellow Marta Llusca Jane.

Unlike traditional heavier and more fragile CST technology, the UniSA claims its technology can be flat-packed and transported with greater ease. 

The project has been funded by the federal government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite program, which Jane says has been vital for the project’s success.

“Without this funding, the technical and financial risks of early-stage commercialisation would be too high for private investors. This demonstrator will allow us to scale the technology for real-world applications,” said Jane.

Comprising patented UniSA technology initially developed for the automotive industry, the mirrors can be used to generate heat directly or to heat water and produce steam to power turbines.

As part of the project’s first phase, the two CST solar modules will be constructed and tested at CSU’s “Vineyard of the Future”. Announced in 2023, the CSU scheme was created to provide a platform for innovative and novel technologies to be used in the agriculture and wine industries.

It is hoped the CST demonstration project will showcase the technology’s ability to generate temperatures between 100-400 degrees celsius, highlighting its potential for reducing several industries’ reliance on fossil fuels. 

With these sorts of temperatures, the proprietary CST modules would be ideal for several processes such as grain & pulse drying, sterilising and wastewater treatment. 

“Industrial process heat accounts for a staggering 25% of global energy use and 20% of CO2 emissions,” explained Jane.

The three organisations already have their sights set on a larger commercial-scale pilot project, which they’re pursuing alongside “key agribusiness and industrial partners.”

According to the UniSA, “strong interest has already been expressed [in the technology] by several national and international producers.”