“Proud moment:” Australian solar thermal pioneer powers up hybrid hydro system in Brazil

Australian solar innovator RayGen has successfully deployed its unique technology using concentrated solar power to produce and store both clean electricity and thermal energy in a first international project in Brazil.

Located at a demonstration site in Brazil operated by AXIA Energia, formerly known as Eletrobras, the 1-megawatt (MW) PV Ultra system consists of a heliostat field, receiver tower, PV Ultra modules, and plant control system. 

In addition to being able to feed solar electricity directly to the grid, RayGen’s PV Ultra is also able to store energy as cold and hot water in two water pits.

The cold water pit is “charged” using electricity and a standard ammonia-cycle chiller, while the hot water is sourced from RayGen’s solar system or a heat pump. When electricity is required, the temperature difference between the two water pits drives an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbine.

“This is a proud moment for RayGen and for Australian innovation and advanced manufacturing,” said Richard Payne, RayGen CEO.

“Our unique technology, which generates clean electricity and thermal energy, is being rolled out internationally.

“It has been a pleasure working with AXIA. Their commitment to innovation mirrors RayGen’s own values, and their forward-thinking approach to technology adoption is truly inspiring.”

AXIA’s site in Petrolina, in Northeast Brazil, is used to demonstrate innovative technologies under local conditions prior to potential deployment at scale.

“Pioneering this technology in Brazil opens up alternatives to combine renewable energy, energy storage, and inertia,” said Juliano Dantas, executive vice president for technology and innovation at AXIA Energia.

“It is about enabling solar generation driven by demand, with power quality, which is very much aligned with AXIA Energy’s philosophy of serving the market.

“We intend to further investigate how this system can help power AI factories. We are very excited to continue working with RayGen as the partnership has developed very well.”

This marks RayGen’s first international deployment and follows on from its operating sites at Carwarp and Newbridge in Victoria, as well as the future utility-scale Yadnarie project in South Australia, which has already secured development approval.

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