Australia aims to halve solar thermal cost

Increases funding for concentrating solar power technologies.

Manuel Blanco, newly appointed director of the CSIRO-led Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative, said halving the cost of energy derived from concentrating solar power technologies places Australia on course to match the renewable energy contribution from other solar technologies.

Australia has set aside A$87 million in funding over eight years to advance concentrating solar power technologies that tap solar energy by using mirrors or lenses to drive steam turbines.

Dr. Blanco, however, said a technological leap would be needed to cut generation costs from 25¢ a kilowatt-hour to 12¢ by 2020, but collaborative efforts between Australian and overseas scientists could achieve the goal. Costs had fallen by about 25% over the past five years.