Sun down under

Outback town plans world first in solar power
The Queensland town of Cloncurry is aiming to transform itself into the world’s first fully solar-powered community. The centrepiece of the plan will be a 10MW solar thermal power tower, generating around 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

A total of 8,000 mirrors will track the sun, reflecting its rays on to a graphite block at the top of a central tower. Water pumped through the block will be heated by it and turned to steam, which will drive a turbine to generate the electricity. One big advantage of this graphite block technology, developed by Australian company Lloyd Energy Storage, is that the block can store enough solar heat to go on producing steam through the night.

Summer temperatures in Cloncurry regularly hit 50°C – making it a perfect candidate for the solar thermal trial. The state government is stumping up £3 million of the £13.2 million needed for the project, expected to be completed next year.

The trial, says Queensland’s energy minister Geoff Wilson, “will determine if this clean, green technology can be used in other rural and remote areas that face high costs and transmission losses.” – Julian Rollins

25 March 2008

Julian Rollins

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