Solco's manufacturing partnership in Malta

A Western Australian company, Solco, in partnership with Motherwell Bridge Mediterranean Ltd of Malta, has just opened a new manufacturing facility in Malta that will produce a range of sustainable water and energy products, including Solco's patented polymer-based solar hot water system.

The products will be marketed in Malta and other selected Mediterranean markets.

Meanwhile, a new $5.3 million National Solar Energy Centre, which conducts research to demonstrate the innovative use of solar thermal technologies, was launched by the Australian Government earlier this month.

Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell said the centre, located in Newcastle, NSW, proves that it really can find something new under the sun.

"The centre's solar tower will be used to provide temperatures high enough to produce a solar gas which contains over 26 per cent more energy than the natural gas feeding into the system. This solar gas can then be turned into solar hydrogen, enabling solar energy to be stored and transported," Senator Campbell said.

The centre was an example of the ground-breaking technology that presented world-class, collaborative research and demonstration projects.

"At peak operation, the centre's technologies will generate enough electricity to power more than 100 homes", he added.

The centre is a unique multi-solar collector facility, comprising three main elements: a high concentration solar array using 200 mirrors to generate more than 500 kilowatts of energy and capable of achieving peak temperatures of 1,000°C; a linear solar array that generates a hot fluid at temperatures of around 250°C to power a small turbine generator; and a communications and control centre including an elevated viewing platform.

The linear array and turbine generator combine two technologies to produce low cost electricity powered by the sun, suitable for generating energy in remote areas.

Senator Campbell said that Australia's energy demand was expected to double by 2050. "It is essential that we meet this demand with low-emission technologies as part of a broader, multi-track approach to addressing climate change - solar energy will be an important part of this mix.

"Australia has an abundance of renewable energy resources and parts of Australia receive the highest levels of solar radiation on the planet. It is important that we focus on removing the barriers and impediments that prevent more people from using solar technologies."

The National Solar Energy Centre was an initiative of the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation's Energy Transformed Flagship, which aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions, double the efficiency of new energy generation, supply and end use, and position Australia for a future hydrogen economy.