Vast Solar Pty Ltd has awarded Worley Ltd significant engineering contracts for its VS1 concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) project.
VS1 is a 30MW/288MWh CSP plant under construction in Port Augusta, South Australia. According to Vast, the VS1 CSP project will create clean, low-cost, dispatchable electricity with over 8 hours of thermal energy storage using Vast’s unique modular tower CSP v3.0 technology. The initiative will generate dozens of green manufacturing jobs, hundreds of construction jobs, and long-term plant operations positions.
Worley and its speciality consulting company, Advisian, have been appointed by Vast to finish VS1 CSP project’s basic engineering by July 2023, followed by front-end engineering design (FEED) throughout the remainder of this calendar year. The construction of VS1 is scheduled to commence in 2024.
Vast CEO Craig Wood stated that Worley and Advisian are excellent engineering partners for VS1, which will use the company’s industry-leading technology to gather and store the sun’s energy throughout the day before generating heat and dispatchable power at night.
“Vast has a long-standing relationship with Worley and Advisian dating back to assistance with the engineering and commissioning of our 1.1MW grid connected Jemalong demonstration plant. Their skill in integrating our technology with major packages to be delivered by key equipment partners from around the world will allow VS1 to progress towards FID late this year,” Wood said.
Worley Power & Energy Transition Practice Manager Peter Israel commented, “Worley is pleased to continue their support of Vast Solar with the provision of specialist engineering skills. This work aligns with our corporate ambition to be recognized globally as leader in sustainability solutions and delivering a more sustainable world.”
According to Vast, the Australian Government has provided major backing for the company’s proprietary CSP v3.0 technology. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced that it has granted up to AUD$65 million in financing to assist the development of VS1.
VS1 will be co-located with Solar Methanol 1 (SM1), a world-first green methanol demonstration plant that was awarded AUD$19.48 million and EUR13.2 million in February as part of a partnership between the Australian and German governments. SM1 will manufacture green methanol from zero-emission dispatchable power and heat from VS1 for use as a sustainable shipping fuel.
