Vast secures grant to progress SA Solar Fuels project

HyFuel Solar Refinery, a subsidiary of Vast Renewables, has been awarded $700,000 through the Australia-Singapore Low Emissions Technologies (ASLET) initiative for maritime and port operations.

The funding will progress the development of South Australia Solar Fuels (SA Solar Fuels), a sustainable fuels project collaboration between Vast and global energy company Mabanaft.

SA Solar Fuels, previously known as Solar Methanol 1 or SM1, is being developed to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels by the maritime and aviation industries, which need pathways to decarbonise fuel to meet net-zero targets.

The SA Solar Fuels demonstration plant will be capable of producing 7500 tonnes per annum of green methanol, enough to fuel multiple car ferries for sustainable tourism or short-sea shipping for bulk freight in Australia.

The technology demonstrated by SA Solar Fuels has the potential to produce hydrogen-derived sustainable fuels which can be used to replace fossil fuels in logistical operations, providing a low-carbon alternative to power ships, planes or other industrial applications.

Preliminary front-end engineering and design (pre-FEED) for SA Solar Fuels has been completed by global engineering firms Fichtner and bse Methanol.

ASLET’s support is said to fund further project optimisation ahead of commencing FEED, which will address technical, infrastructure, regulatory and commercial readiness elements of the project to ensure the successful adoption of green methanol in maritime operations.

Aimed at helping the maritime and port operations industries to accelerate towards a net-zero emissions future while delivering bilateral economic benefits, ASLET is co-delivered by Australia’s CSIRO and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and is supported by the governments of Australia and Singapore.

“We are delighted to receive this backing from ASLET, which recognises the potential of our project to play a significant role in decarbonising global fuel production. We believe SA Solar Fuels offers a scalable solution which can produce green fuels at lower cost than renewable-powered alternatives,” Vast CEO Craig Wood said.

“We are looking forward to progressing towards FEED with our partners at Mabanaft, and to advancing our global pipeline of green fuels projects.”

The ASLET funding is the latest boost of support for SA Solar Fuels, following an announcement in January 2023 that Vast will receive up to $19.48 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Mabanaft will receive up to €12.4 million from Projektträger Jülich (PtJ) on behalf of the German Government as part of the German-Australian Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Incubator (known as HyGATE).

Located at the Port Augusta Green Energy Hub, SA Solar Fuels will be powered by Vast’s next-generation concentrated solar thermal power technology, which is expected to provide the lowest-cost energy source for green fuel production thanks to its ability to generate continuous heat and power.

Calix, Vast’s principal CO₂ supply partner on the project, will supply unavoidable industrial CO₂ emissions through its co-located carbon capture and utilisation demonstration plant. The CO₂ will be synthesised with green hydrogen to create sustainable fuels.

Image credit: iStock.com/PinkBadger