Regional Sustainability Centre, Whyalla
ISST received funding from Premier’s Science and Research Fund (PSRF)
grant to establish the Regional Sustainability Centre that will be the
regional node of the Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies and
will be based at UniSAs Whyalla campus and work collaboratively with the
Centre for Regional
Engagement and the
Centre for Rural Health and Community Development. The Centre will
utilise UniSAs expertise in sustainable systems and technologies and other
relevant capabilities to develop and demonstrate systems and technologies
appropriate for the region and its specific resource development operations.
The first project will be to build a demonstration solar power plant in
Whyalla that can deliver base load electricity through the integration of
unique thermochemical solar energy storage technology. Investment in this
project is provided from the Department of Environment and Water Resources
under their Advanced Electricity Storage Technology Program. In addition to
providing local assistance during the design/implementation stages, the
Centre will be responsible for the evaluation and monitoring process of the
solar installation and will provide an opportunity for collaboration between
UniSA and researchers from the Australian National University who developed
the solar dish technology being demonstrated in the project.
The second project will be the provision of deionised water where the use of
solar energy combined with waste heat will be investigated as a means for
providing a thermal solution for producing deionised water requirements.
After initial studies and technical/economic evaluation, a system will be
designed and optimised and a pilot plant built for assessing its practical
performance. It is anticipated that the project will build badly needed
local expertise in water desalination using alternative energy resources and
should lead to the Centre providing national research leadership in this
area.
These, and other proposed projects, will establish a research, development
and demonstration base for providing integrated sustainable solutions to
support the regional community of the Upper Spencer Gulf.
For further information please contact
Associate Professor Farid Christo