Experience of solar ponds...... Return to home page

Overseas experience

A number of saline lake power systems seem to be functioning in Israel including a very large power generator based on the Dead Sea, but little information is available about them.
The most famous operating unit is in El Paso (Texas USA). It has a 0.3ha solar pond which can supply (gross) power of 75kW and has supplied a nett 16kW to the power grid for many years as well as supplying process heat to a local cannery.
Another pond in the USA, at Crystal Springs uses large water bags covering 0.2ha, and produces 1,800-2700 GJ/m2.year of hot water for a printing plant. Cost of installation of the pond was $US 120 / sq m in 1986.
A number of solar ponds operate in Europe to supply heat to glasshouses and swimming pools
Energy recovery units (similar to the Organic rankine cycle units used for

Australian experience

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have a small pond on the roof of their building in Melbourne which has been monitored occasionally for many years as part of a number of demonstrations and projects. They also have had some experience with a pond system at Cheetham at Laverton.
Recently, they collaborated in a project to build a 0.3ha solar pond to produce process heat for salt drying from a saline land reclamation scheme at Pyramid Hill (Kerang) in NW Victoria. This system has been providing around 65kW of heat for 18months now with minimal maintenance.
Pyramid Hill Salt Co is currently develloping four 28ha plastic lined evaporation ponds for table salt production as part of a saline water interception scheme for the Murray darling Basin Authority

South Australian Experience

Australian Solar Ponds P/L (based in Adelaide and Alice Springs) built an experimental 0.5 ha solar pond system at Alice Springs which produced electricity (nett 15kW) on and off for several years.
A fully functional unit built in the 1980's by Enreco P/L at Mulka Station (also using hot water from the Great Artesian Basin) was used until recently to supply local power (15kW) to run the station and a substantial water distribution system for cattle watering. This unit was working until the station was shut down around 1998 when it was bought as a mining lease.
Enreco also built a 150kW unit to supply power to Birdsville using Great Artesian Basin hot water which has been running for many years. (Photos below) This unit is still functioning.


This is the Alice Springs solar pond and 15kW experimental solar pond and organic rankine cycle conversion unit where early design work was done. After five years (and several completed research projects) the site was shut down.

The Mulka Bore unit This is a 15kW unit which is used to supply the station with power and run an extensive pumping system. It was installed in 1975 and operated for many years until the station was sold to SANTOS and the stock removed.
	This is the conversion unit (150kW)which supplies electrical power to Birdsville from the hot water of the Great Artesian basin. the unit still operates to supply the town with its base power (Diesels are used as well at busy times)

Contacting Soil Water Solutions

Soil Water Solutions, 45a Ormond Avenue, Daw Park, South Australia 5041

ABN 43 610 650 060

Phone 61 (08) 8276 7706 (all hours) (no fax)