Australian Silicon Action Plan

[Music plays and a split circle appears and photos of different CSIRO activities flash through in either side of the circle and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo]

[Image changes to show text “Silicon” on a white screen, and then the image changes to show an animation of a rotating world globe, and then the animation image changes to show a dump truck]

Narrator: Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on our planet, with the most common form being silica sand or SiO2. 

[Animation images move through to show a concrete mixer truck, the sun shining on a solar panel, three computer screens, and a car moving across the screen from the left to the right]

SiO2 is a vital starting material for concrete, solar panels, fibre optics, and even aluminium alloys used in your car.

[Animation image changes to show a glowing light bulb on the left linked to a wind turbine on the right]

We need a lot of pure silicon for the energy transition especially. 

[Animation image changes to show a solar PV on the left and on the right of the screen, and text appears between: 4 terawatt hours]

The world requires 4TW hours of solar PV by 2050, making the demand even greater.

[Animation images move through to show the sun shining on solar panels, a piece of quartz rock, a lump of elemental silicon, a lump of poly silicon, a solar cell, and then a group of solar panels]

Solar panels are made from a form of silica called high purity quartz, which is first reduced into elemental silicon, then upgraded to poly silicon, cells, and then into panels. 

[Animation image changes to show symbols of the process of producing solar panels joined across the bottom of the screen and CO2 clouds appear moving up from the process chain]
 
This lengthy process generally produces a lot of CO¬2, and with a fragile global supply chain Australia has the chance to make a big difference.

[Animation images move through to show a world map showing the USA, and then China, and then Australia highlighted on the map]

Currently the United States supplies a lot of the quartz, while China produces the vast majority of the world’s poly silicon and solar panels.

[Camera zooms in on Australia on the map, and then symbols of quartz appear over the map, and then the symbols of quartz are replaced with symbols of solar panels]

With Australia’s access to high purity quartz, and the growing demand for solar PV, we have the potential to become an industry leader in producing clean, renewable electricity.

[Animation image changes to show a dump truck with a load of quartz in the back]

But it will take work to establish our own supply chains and ensure carbon neutrality.

[Animation image changes to show a process flow chart joining symbols of a sun shining on a solar panel, quartz, elemental silicon, poly silicon, green hydrogen, a solar cell, and a group of solar panels]

Considering new process techniques, like the use of green hydrogen to replace carbon reductants is essential. 

[Animation image changes to show the sun shining on a landscape, and then the camera zooms out to show a map Australia highlighted in a world map]

This is our chance to become a leader in green silicon and poly silicon production and in creating new industries.

[Music plays and the image changes to show text on a white screen: CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency]

Will you join us?