ZINC POWER
August 1st, 2005
KEITH NUTHALLA SWISS research unit has developed a solar power reactor storing the power of the sun in zinc batteries. The Paul Scherrer Institute's system concentrates the sun's rays via mirrors onto zinc oxide ore, with a catalyst such as coal and coke. The reaction creates CO2 and zinc powder used in zinc-air-batteries or producing hydrogen by combining it with water vapour. The Swiss claim this 300-kilowatt pilot plant is the first using solar energy to create storable energy from metal ore. In trials, it used 30% of available solar energy, producing 45 kilos ...
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