We’ve seen our fair share of giant renewable energy projects, but we’re particularly intrigued by Cobra Energy‘s plan to construct a $1 billion, 250 MW solar plant in Australia. The power plant won’t be as powerful as a typical coal-powered operation, but it will be one of the biggest solar thermal plants on the planet.
When completed, Cobra’s plant will be powered by both photovoltaic panels and solar thermal technology, which uses boiled water to generate energy. Cobra’s key to effective solar thermal is the use of molten salts to store extra energy during the day. When the sun goes down, the salts can continue to generate power for another 7.5 hours.
The Cobra plant isn’t a done deal quite yet — the Spanish company is still deciding between a number of sites in Australia. And while Cobra has applied for funds under the Australian government’s $1.5 billion solar flagships program, it has yet to receive approval. But if the deal goes through, Cobra’s plant could provide over half of the country’s goal of 400 MW of solar power.
Via The Australian
