Solar Tower Will Be World's Tallest Structure

In New South Wales, Australia, a feasibility study has taken place to build the tallest structure in the world, a solar electricity plant measuring 1000m tall and 7000m wide.

The 15-month study by EnviroMission and Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd investigates the feasibility of constructing the world's first large-scale (200MW) solar thermal power station.

Nicknamed 'Solar Mission' the power station will be able to provide enough electricity to fuel approximately 200,000 Australian homes.

This energy output has been estimated to save annually more than 750,000 tonnes of greenhouse CO2 gases from entering into the environment.

If the project goes ahead it would create almost 1200 jobs during the construction and be twice as high as the current 'world's tallest building', the Taipei 101Tower.

EnviroMission CEO Roger Davey said, "The success of the pre-feasibility study signals the go-ahead towards full commerciality and is one of the most significant decisions in the progress of solar tower technology to date.

"The economic benefits illustrated within the study's financial modeling are adequate to ensure the commerciality of solar tower development taking into account the revenue expected from energy generation, associated derivatives and potential revenue from naming rights".

The Solar Tower works by capturing the suns radiation through the 7000 metre transparent solar collector base and transfers the heated air as it rises from the base to move as 'hot wind' through large turbines that generate the electricity.

The power station uses the solar tower technology to create a continuous flow through these turbines.

Major Project Facilitation (MPF) status has been granted by the Federal Industry Minister, as well as State Significant Development status by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning.

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