Larkfleet aim to supply renewable power to off-grid rural communities in India

Lark Energy recently submitted a proposal to build the containerised version of the Solar Steam technology to supply renewable heat and power to off-grid rural communities in India.

Dubbed ‘solar steam’, the Larkfleet technology concentrates the power of the sun’s rays to heat water to create steam which can be used as a sustainable energy solution in industrial processes.

If successful, Larkfleet proposes to deliver a two-year project which will be carried out in partnership with Cranfield University and an Indian solar collector manufacturer. The total budget is about £550,000 and Larkfleet is directly contributing £128,000 to see the project to fruition.

Simone Perini, renewable energy development engineer at Lark Energy, said: “Solar steam has the potential to transform energy access in developing countries. In particular we are looking at delivering a mobile containerised energy system that is able to operate where the grid is unbalanced, unreliable or unavailable – like rural India.”

The Larkfleet solar steam system works by focusing the sun’s rays through a Fresnel lens array onto a tube which contains water. The water is heated to create steam which can be used in industrial process heating and cooling applications or for power generation.

Simone added: “To show the global potential of the technology we have entered round four of the Energy Catalyst competition. We are collaborating with academic and commercial partners to deliver this project in India and we are also seeking to demonstrate the viability of this technology in other regions.”

For more information on solar steam visit www.solarsteam.co.uk