Vast and GGS Energy to bring CSP-powered green methanol and SAF to the U.S.
Vast Renewables Ltd., a renewable energy company specializing in concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) systems that generate zero-carbon, utility-scale electricity and industrial process heat, has signed a development services agreement with GGS Energy LLC, a leading energy transition development company with deep project development experience, to pursue a commercial-scale synthetic fuels project in the Southwest U.S. (Project Bravo).
Project Bravo, Vast’s first deployment in the U.S., will see Vast’s CSP v3.0 technology used to generate carbon-free heat and electricity to power a co-located refinery that will produce green methanol and/or electrically powered sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF). The project is expected to be located in the Southwest U.S.
Methanol is one of the most versatile hydrogen derivatives which, if produced using clean energy, has the potential to decarbonize shipping and aviation fuels. Using CSP can potentially reduce green fuel production costs by up to 40%, according to a recent report by engineering group Fichtner. Furthermore, e-SAF will be critical to reducing emissions from the aviation industry over the coming decades. Given these and other strong demand trends, the parties expect to attract high-quality, long-term offtake contracts from global strategic partners.
Project Bravo will build on Solar Methanol 1 (SM1), the CSP-powered green methanol reference plant to be located in Australia at the Port Augusta Green Energy Hub, that Vast is co-developing with global energy company Mabanaft. SM1 will be supplied with base load renewable heat from Vast’s co-located 30-MW / 288-MWh CSP plant, and it will have the capacity to produce 7,500 tonnes of green methanol each year.
Vast has been undertaking early-stage development activities for Project Bravo, including initial design, site selection and feasibility assessments, to create a viable project ready for the next phase of development in collaboration with GGS Energy. The project has a development target of 550 MWh of CSP generation, with further details to be released as development activities unfold.
The development services agreement sets out how Vast will advance Project Bravo with GGS Energy, a subsidiary of Glacier Global Partners that was formed in 2020 as an energy transition company focused on developing utility-scale renewable energy. The project’s success could unlock the mass production of green fuels from synthetic feedstocks in the U.S. and catalyze a pipeline of future projects.
Craig Wood, CEO of Vast, said, “CSP has the potential to unlock low-cost green fuel production in the U.S., and it can play a significant role in helping decarbonize shipping and aviation. We are delighted to have GGS Energy as a development partner to advance our plans in the U.S., which is a key market for Vast’s technology.”
Tommy Soriero from GGS Energy said, “GGS Energy is excited to partner with Vast and work to develop Project Bravo. This collaboration marks a significant step toward a sustainable future, harnessing advanced technology to produce low-cost green fuels. We are eager to combine our expertise and resources to ensure the success and impact of future innovative projects starting with Project Bravo.”
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