Australia has the potential to house 34 solar thermal power stations by as soon as 2020, says a leading global engineering company.
WorleyParsons is planning to build the world’s largest solar thermal power plant in Australia by 2011 and is undertaking a study to find potential sites for its first 250-megawatt station, which, in theory, is sufficient to power 100,000 houses. Locations under consideration include the Pilbara in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.
Solar thermal energy differs from solar photovoltaics in that it produces steam harnessed by solar energy – and it is predicted that solar thermal energy will augment existing photovoltaic technology.
Australia has committed to a ensuring that by 2020, 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply comes from renewable energy sources. The Government will also introduce an emissions trading scheme by 2010. Both of these measures are vital for Australia to effectively tackle climate change and present opportunities for Australia to become a leader in solar energy and energy efficiency.
This year the Australian Government will propose a 2020 target for reducing Australia’s carbon pollution. To play our part in avoiding catastrophic climate change, we must reduce our carbon pollution by at least a third by 2020. Consistent with urgent advice from leading international scientists – the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – ACF is calling on the Australian Government to set legally binding national targets to cut greenhouse pollution by at least 30 per cent by 2020 (from 1990 levels).
– from acfonline