Ditch coal: solar can power the country'

Canberra Times
Saturday 16/8/2008 Page: 8

Australia should begin replacing older coal-fired power stations with new solar thermal technology to cut greenhouse emissions and meet rising energy demands, a leading scientist says. Former Sydney University solar energy researcher Professor David Mills has also urged the Rudd Government to commit itself to "big, inspirational" renewable energy projects that would make Australia a global centre of clean energy.

"We can definitely be a world leader in this field. The investment is out there, but the political will has to be manifest, and committing to several large-scale projects would demonstrate the Government's confidence in a clean energy future," Professor Mills said. He said Australia's political climate in respect of the future role of solar energy had changed since last year's federal election, with governments finally beginning to grasp the potential of solar thermal electricity to power the nation.

"I think people are finally getting it. solar thermal can provide electricity on a large scale. It can carry the power needs of our entire society and, once the investment is there, we have the resources and expertise to build solar energy plants within months." In order to move more rapidly to zero-carbon electricity generation, the Federal Government had to establish an economic value for clean energy to encouragement greater investment.

"We are not talking about a subsidy but a shift in expenditure to drive expansion." Professor Mills, who met Queensland Premier Anna Bligh yesterday to discuss the feasibility of future solar thermal projects for the state, left Australia in February last year after failing to attract support from the Howard government for his world-beating technology.

Now based in California, his company, Ausra Inc, has attracted backing from leading venture capital firms and signed major agreements with US energy providers. It recently open the US's first solar thermal power manufacturing plant, capable of producing over 700 megawatts of solar collectors a year.

Solar thermal power plants use fields of mirrors to capture the sun's rays and thereby produce zero carbon electricity. They are estimated to become cost competitive with coal-fired power in less than five years. The collectors can also store energy to continue supplying power at night and during overcast weather. Dr Mills said demand for his company's technology was growing in the US, Germany and the Middle East, and was now being "swamped" with business inquiries from Australia.

A city the size of Canberra could easily switch to solar thermal energy, provided there was sufficient flat land on which to build the solar arrays. The Ausra technology uses mirrors to focus sunlight on to water pipes, and the resulting steam drives a turbine to generate electricity. But the Australian technology is in such demand that there could be a three-year delay in turbine delivery. "We can't build them fast enough. If we can sort that out, then we can build a solar thermal plant within four months and have it operational."