Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) - Basics and Introduction

Technology

Solar Thermal Power Plants are large scale renewable energy infrastructures using heat produced by contracted solar beams (CSP - Concentrated Solar Power). Mirrors concentrate solar beam on a receiver. The produced heat with temparatures of 400ºC to 1000ºC can be used directly, be transformed into electricity or stored.

CSP technologies

CSP technology, being quite different from the more popular photovoltaic equpiment, concentrates sunlight to effectively create heat to raise steam. However, there are different types of technology working under title of CSP. In the following chapters, the idea of the “parabolic trough”, the “power tower”, the “Fresnel mirror system” (or simply “linear Fresnel”) and the “dish” will be presented.

 

Power Tower

The power tower really lives up to its promise. Compared to other CSP technologies, it can create the highest degree of temperature. Surrounded by mirrors reflecting light onto an elevated and centered tower, the power tower generates heat of about 1,000 C°.   

 

 

CSP Today

List of CSP projects

See List of solar thermal power stations and List of concentrating solar thermal power companies (Wikipedia)

Cost developments

Greenpeace, Solarpaces and ESTELA elaborated scenarios for the market potential and cost degression of the CSP technology with a timeline to 2050. According to the ambitious scenario costs per installed kW could come down from 3.060 € in 2015 to 2.160€ in 2050 (Greenpeace, Solarpaces, ESTELA, (2009)).

 

Markets

Africa

MENA region

  

The MENA region with its high level of solar radiation is the target of different initiatives to develop CSP on a large scale. This is a chance to improve the economic and social situation of the region itself. A recent study assesses the manufacturing capabilities and potentials for different CSP components in the MENA region. The study concentrates on the glass and mirror industry, electronic and electrical industry as well as steel industry and in terms of countries on Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. (Worldbank, ESMAP (2011)). The study assumes that the major driving factor for the development of a local CSP industry in the MENA countries is the fast rise of installed CSP capacity in the region. The most optimistic scenario with 2 GW of installed CSP capacity in 2020 shows that local manufactured added value of CSP plants could reach almost 60 percent of the value chain by 2020. This equates to US$14.3 billion of additional industrial value added and a creation of permanent 64,000 to 79,000 local jobs ( at least 70% in construction and manufacturing sector) until 2025.

Literature

• Solar Thermal and Concentrated Solar Power Barometer 2011
• The World Bank / ESMAP, Middle East and North Africa Region Assessment of the Local Manufacturing Potential for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Projects, January 2011
• International Energy Agency (IEA), Technology Roadmap: Concentrating Solar Power, 2010

External Links

European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA)