Assuming the challenge of innovating and improving sustainability in the Chilean productive and industrial sector, CSIRO Chile and the Fraunhofer Chile Solar Energy Technology Center, together with SONAMI, the IAU, Universidad de la Serena, Universidad de Valparaíso and AIEP; held the Seminar "Clean Technologies: Solar Power Concentration" in the SONAMI Presidents' Hall, in which the technical and economic aspects offered by CSP plants and their attractions to advance in the decarbonization of productive processes were addressed.

Senior Solar Energy Researcher and ASTRI Center Manager, Wes Stein, who spoke at the seminar, explained that "CSP technology is attractive since it can provide energy storage at a very low cost, as well as a wide variety of end use products, such as high temperature heat, fuels and electricity. The interesting thing is that they can all come from the same basic platform, and therefore the development of one technology becomes an important factor in developing other technologies in the future as well".

Meanwhile, the Director of the Solar Energy Center, Frank Dinter - also an exhibitor at the conference - highlighted that Chile has the advantage of having the best solar radiation in the world. "CSP plants with storage are the best large-scale solution for dispatchable energy in the future. Salt energy storage provides systemic benefits to the operation of the grid, allowing it to absorb fluctuations in the sun (clouds) and displace power generation to periods of higher demand. That is why CSP plants have a number of attributes such as clean energy that make them extremely interesting for decarbonization," said Dinter.

He added that in addition to producing electrical energy, it is necessary to integrate solar thermal energy (heat) for industrial processes - in substitution of traditional fossil fuels - to provide sustainability, reduce costs, improve competitiveness and add value to products. The Director of CSET explained that it is important to carry out technical dissemination on Chile's potential, creating a connection between industry and science, providing profitable energy solutions for innovative industries.

Exchange of experiences

For this reason, both experts, together with representatives of the other institutions involved and professionals and representatives of the public and private sectors, were able to exchange knowledge and experiences on the subject, in order to generate collaboration on strategic issues for the energy sustainability of companies.