Power plant in space to power homes on earth

subscribe

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and IHI Corp. will join a 2 trillion yen (US $21 billion) Japanese project intending to build a giant solar-power generator in space within three decades and beam electricity to earth.

A research group representing 16 companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., will spend four years developing technology to send electricity without cables in the form of microwaves, according to a statement on the trade ministryÂ’s Web site.

“It sounds like a science-fiction cartoon, but solar power generation in space may be a significant alternative energy source in the century ahead as fossil fuel disappears,” said Kensuke Kanekiyo, managing director of the Institute of Energy Economics, a government research body.

Japan is developing the technology for the 1-gigawatt solar station, fitted with four square kilometers of solar panels, and hopes to have it running in three decades, according to a 15-page background document prepared by the trade ministry in August. Being in space it will generate power from the sun regardless of weather conditions, unlike earth-based solar generators.

One gigawatt is enough to supply about 294,000 average Tokyo homes.

Related News

nuclear plant

Explainer: Why nuclear-powered France faces power outage risks

PARIS - France is bracing for possible power outages in the coming days as falling temperatures push up demand while state-controlled nuclear group EDF struggles to bring more production on line.


WHY CAN'T FRANCE MEET DEMAND?
France is one of the most nuclear-powered countries in the world, typically producing over 70% of its electricity with its fleet of 56 reactors and providing about 15% of Europe's total power through exports.

However, EDF (EDF.PA) has had to take a record number of its ageing reactors offline for maintenance this year just as Europe is struggling to cope with cuts in Russian natural…

READ MORE

Britain Prepares for High Winter Heating and Electricity Costs

READ MORE

N.B. Power hits pause on large new electricity customers during crypto review

READ MORE

power

Warning: Manitoba Hydro can't service new 'energy intensive' customers

READ MORE

northern pass commission

New Hampshire rejects Quebec-Massachusetts transmission proposal

READ MORE