SolarReserve has announced the company’s international expansion into Australia through the opening of an office in Perth.
The company says its Australian operations will focus on large-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) projects, particularly in the off-grid mining sector.
“In Australia, the best solar resources are commonly found in remote areas where mines operate, presenting the off-grid mining sector with a substantial opportunity to offset the high price of electricity generation in these remote locations with a solar energy alternative,” says SolarReserve’s CEO Kevin Smith.
There are more than 1,000 operating mines in Western Australia – and many of those are powered by high-priced and polluting diesel fuel.
“In the face of impending policy decisions by the Australian government related to renewable energy and carbon emissions, solar energy for the mining sector is a win-win: good for business and good for the environment.”
The company was one of the participants in a meeting earlier this year in the gold mining city of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to plan the Goldfields’ renewable energy future.
SolarReserve is the company behind the 110 megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant; located in Nevada. It features advanced molten salt power tower technology with integrated storage. Once completed, the facility will generate 500,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually and power up to 75,000 homes during peak electricity periods. First generation of electricity is scheduled for mid-2014.
SolarReserve is also developing the Rice Solar Energy Project in California. The 150 MW solar thermal facility also incorporates molten salt energy storage.
Globally, SolarReserve’s portfolio of large scale solar projects has a collective capacity of 5,000 MW.
The company was the recipient of the “Solar Award for Excellence: Technology” for its molten salt power tower technology, an award which was received at the Solar Industry Awards Ceremony on October 1st, 2013 in France.
