Power considerations for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world's most sensitive radio telescope and is expected to be fully operational at frequencies below 10 GHz by 2023. The SKA will extend over more than 3000 km but over half its collecting area will be located at one of two remote, radio-quiet sites in either Australia or South Africa. The instrument will collect and process vast amounts of information, and the provision of reliable, affordable electrical power over an expected 30-50 year operational lifetime is a major challenge. This paper outlines some of the main issues and mentions a few exemplar innovations in the area of SKA power.