There are two exciting power projects being tested north of Bakersfield.
Cutting-edge technology is being demonstrated to attract customers who are turning to solar power to keep the lights on. Twenty miles north of Bakersfield, just west of Highway 99, a huge solar thermal power plant is taking shape.
In two weeks, it will go on line, producing enough electricity to power 3,500 homes. It is a test facility, to demonstrate new technology developed by Palo Alto-based Ausra Incorporated.
Unlike conventional solar power farms, which heat oil to make steam through a heat-exchange process, Ausra creates steam directly from sunlight. "It makes the design a lot simpler. you avoid having a lot of flammable liquid at your site. it's more efficient and quicker to build," said Ausra Inc. CEO and President Bob Fishman.
The other big difference is the mirrors. Conventional solar farms use expensive and complex parabolic mirrors. Ausra uses pre-fabricated mirrors that are virtually flat and easily installed. "We're building Fords. They're building Lamborghinis and all you need is a Ford," said Fishman.
Here's how it works; Mirrors track the sun focusing its rays on receiver pipes. Water comes in to the pipes at one end and is heated as it travels to the other end, where it's transformed into high pressure steam and sent to a steam turbine which rotates to make electricity.
This is Ausra's second generation test facility, the only one of its kind in North America.
In two weeks, the company will invite utility officials from across the southwestern U.S. to the unveiling of the Kimberlina plant. "We want all utilities in the southwest to come and look at this and see the technology working. It's ready to be deployed on a large scale. It's not some scientist's tinker toy. It's a real steam and power producing project they could provide to their ratepayers and it's very cost effective," said Fishman.
Ausra is partnering with another company next door, Clean Energy Systems, to make its power. Four years ago, Clean Energy Systems modified the steam turbine inside an old bio-mass power plant.
"What we're going to do with Ausra is tie into this turbine and use steam generated by solar power and running this plant at about five megawatts," said Clean Energy Systems, Inc. CEO Keith Pronske. "This facility is unique. It's the only one in the world that uses green energy to make clean energy," added Pronske.
But beyond that partnership, Clean Energy Systems has developed technology to produce electricity from other fuel sources, with zero emissions. Founded by retired aerospace engineers and scientists, the company is currently testing a modified rocket engine that burns pressurized water, oxygen and water to make steam.
"We're combusting it at high pressure making steam and carbon dioxide. Once you have steam and carbon dioxide, all you have to do is cool the steam down and capture the carbon dioxide. it's compressed and stored in oil fields or used to recover oil," said Pronske. The idea is to take rocket technology that's been around for 70 years and use it for land-based power generation, without any harmful emissions.
Pronske says the full-scale rocket engine in this trailer is capable of producing enough electricity to power 50,000 homes. The goal is to use steam from the solar farm during the day and fossil fuels when the sun goes down.
A power plant without pollution from burning hydrocarbons and fossil fuels. Two test projects, right in our own backyard, that could conceivably change the face of the power industry around the world.
