Cobra Energy plans to set up a $1billion, 250MW solar energy plant in Australia. This plant will have the capacity to generate energy using photovoltaic cells as well as solar thermal energy. It consists of mirrors arranged in concentric circles around a water tank kept on a tower. These mirrors are focused in such a way that the sunlight reflected off them falls on the water tank. As a result, the water starts boiling and is then used to generate energy. However, this project has a unique feature. It will use molten salts to store extra energy during the day which will be able to generate energy for at least 7.5 hours even after the sun goes down.
Though this project is only in its initial stages, if completed, it will single handedly achieve more than half of the country’s aim to produce 400MW of solar energy.
[inhabitat]