World renowned solar researcher, Dr Manuel Blanco, has joined the CSIRO’s Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative (ASTRI) as its new Director.

Dr Blanco joins ASTRI from Spain’s National Renewable Energy Centre (CENER), where he served as Director of the Solar Thermal Energy Department.

“Australia has one of the best solar resources in the world. It is a natural fit for an international solar thermal research collaboration to use this resource and our expertise to make solar power the cheapest, cleanest energy source it can be,” Dr Blanco said.

“We will reduce the cost of solar thermal to just 12 cents a kilowatt hour by 2020 and provide zero-emission energy to people when they need it. It’s a technological leap but we will do it. We are working with the best in the world.”

Concentrating solar thermal power uses mirrors to focus sunshine to generate heat, which can be used to power a turbine to create electricity. Concentrating solar thermal technologies can also be used to drive chemical reactions to produce solar derived products, such as fuels. CSIRO’s solar thermal tower in Newcastle, New South Wales is an example of a concentrating solar thermal technology.