US-Australia increased cooperation on solar energy

The US and Australia governments on February 5 agreed to accelerate the joint research program between the solar energy experts of the two countries, seeking ways to reduce costs for solar power plants.

According to the Australian Financial Review , investment in the construction of solar power plants needs to be halved compared to the cost of building a gas-fired power plant.

The cooperation program was launched in November 2010 after annual ministerial meetings of the US and Australia, led by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The two sides have built the US-Australia Solar Cooperation Program, in which the Australian side contributed AUD 50 million and the money was assigned to the Australian Solar Energy Research Institute (ASI) for management.

ASI was established in 2009 by the Australian Government in Mayfield, Newcastle, providing doctoral, post-doctoral, information dissemination programs, providing networking and investment opportunities for projects. Solar.

TenderSearch Investment Advisory Group, based in Melbourne, said the deadline for submitting the latest bids, divided into two groups, is February 29 and March 8, 2012. t

In the first phase, ASI wants to find partners who are interested in two long-term cooperative research programs in the field of photovoltaic and solar energy. After being selected, the contractors will be asked to provide more details of their proposals in May 2012.

Under the national technology strategy, the winning bidder will cooperate and participate in management with a number of research institutes, including a cooperative program with the US.