Bill Gates-backed Heliogen targets 1,500°C solar thermal
A US startup backed by Bill Gates is targeting solar thermal energy hitting 1,500°C that can transform carbon-heavy industrial processes and create zero-carbon fuels.
Heliogen uses advanced computer vision software to align a large array of mirrors with extreme precision in order to reflect sunlight to a single target. The California-based company claims it has already used this technology to exceed temperatures greater than 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to replace fossil fuels in the production of steel and cement. At temperatures of 1,500°C, water and CO2 can be split to make fossil-free fuels such as hydrogen and syngas.
UK project aims for combined PV and solar thermal system
South Australia to build 150MW solar thermal plant
Previous solar thermal systems have been designed to reach temperatures of up to only 565 degrees Celsius. While this is sufficient for generating electricity, industrial processes require much higher temperatures, and the bulk of global energy demand is detached from electricity in sectors such as transport and industrial activity.
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