In the heart of Rome, over 500 experts from 41 countries convened to discuss a technology that could significantly reshape our energy landscape: Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) technologies. The 30th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power, Thermal, and Chemical Energy Systems, organized by Luca Turchetti of the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, brought together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore how CST can contribute to a sustainable, flexible, and resilient energy future.
The conference, held from October 7th to 11th, 2024, at the Auditorium della Tecnica, showcased the latest advancements in CST technologies. These technologies, which concentrate sunlight to produce high-temperature heat, have the potential to address some of the most pressing challenges in our energy systems. “CST technologies can produce high-temperature heat, electricity, hydrogen, and other renewable fuels,” Turchetti explained. “They can also provide flexible and round-the-clock operation, thanks to commercially proven long-duration thermal energy storage solutions.”
The conference featured a rich technical program with 42 plenary and technical sessions, including 8 keynote presentations and a roundtable discussion. The participants also had the opportunity to visit the ENEA Casaccia Research Center, which hosts some of the most relevant CST-related research infrastructures in Italy. The Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, highlighted the importance of CST technologies in achieving the European Union’s ambitious climate goals. “CST is among the key energy technologies identified by the European Union to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” he stated.
The conference proceedings, published in the SolarPACES Conference Proceedings, collected 177 full papers covering a wide range of topics in the field of CST technologies. Almost half of the papers focused on three key topics: “Analysis and Simulation of CSP and Hybridized Systems,” “Thermal Energy Storage Materials, Media, and Systems,” and “Solar Industrial Process Heat and Thermal Desalination.” This reflects the main trajectories that the CST community has been following in recent years.
The research presented at the conference marks another step towards improving the technological and economic performance of CST technologies. As the penetration of renewables increases, the need for clean technologies that allow dispatchable production becomes more pressing. CST technologies, with their ability to provide flexible and round-the-clock operation, are well-positioned to meet this need.
The conference also highlighted the importance of well-designed and stable support policies in ensuring a stable pipeline of commercial projects. As the energy sector continues to evolve, CST technologies could play a crucial role in shaping a sustainable, flexible, and resilient energy future. The insights and innovations shared at the SolarPACES Conference will undoubtedly contribute to this goal, fostering further deployment and development of CST technologies.