The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has approved AUS$65 million ($45 million) in funding for a 30MW concentrated solar power plant in Port Augusta.

The 288MWh VS1 project is claimed to be Australia’s first commercial CSP plant and will begin operations in the latter part of 2025.

The plant will make use of Vast Solar’s modular CSP technology. The solar company aims to demonstrate the performance of its technology at utility-scale to unlock further investment opportunities.

According to Vast Solar, their modular design, use of sodium as the heat transfer fluid, and patented control systems, allow the generation of higher-temperature heat and greater reliability.

The $203 million projec