solar thermal electricity (ste) and climate change mitigation

Euro-Arab Training Course on “Smart Grids and Integration of Renewable Energies”

April 25-29, 2016. Granada (Spain)

Eduardo Zarza CIEMAT-Plataforma Solar de Almería, Apartado 22, Tabernas, E-04200 Almería E-mail: [email protected]

Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) and Climate Change Mitigation

Euro-Arab Training Course on “Smart Grids and Integration of Renewable Energy” STE and Climate Change Mitigation

STE and Climate Change Mitigation

• Introduction to STE plants

Content

• Climate Change and STE Plants

• Conclusions

• The Spanish experience with STE Plants

• Integration of STE Plants into Smart Grids


State-of-the-art of STE Plants

What is a Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) plant ? A STE plant is a system where direct solar radiation is concentrated and then converted into thermal energy at medium/high temperature (300ºC – 800ºC). This thermal energy is then converted into electricity by a thermodynamic cycle.


Thermal Storage

Fossil backup

Direct solar radiation

OPTICAL CONCENTRATOR

Concentrated solar radiation

RECEIVER

Useful heat

Waste heat Mechanical energy

Thermodynamic Cycle

G Electricity

Simplified Scheme of a Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) Plant



What is a Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) plant ?

There are four different technologies: Technologies available for STE plants:

Central receiver technology

A STE plant is a system where direct solar radiation is concentrated and then converted into thermal energy at medium/high temperature (300ºC – 800ºC). This thermal energy is then converted into electricity by a thermodynamic cycle.



100 m Heliostat field

Receiver

Power Conversion System

Tower

Central Receiver STE Plant


State-of-the-Art • Depending on the fluid delivered by the receiver there are three different technologies: a)saturated steam

View of the tower

Aerial view of PS-10 and PS-20 plants (saturated steam)

Liquid water

Saturated steam (40 bar)

Condenser

Generator Turbine

Steam storage system

Receiver Saturated-steam plant



State-of-the-Art

The IVANPAH Project (377 MWe, 150bar/555ºC steam) IVANPAH Unit 1 in operation (125 MWe)


• Depending on the fluid delivered by the receiver there are three different technologies: a)saturated steam, b) superheated steam


State-of-the-Art

Molten-salt plant

Aerial view of the 19 MWe plant GEMASOLAR (Spain)


• Depending on the fluid delivered by the receiver there are three different technologies: a)saturated steam, b) superheated steam, and c) molten salts


Parabolic trough collectors

There are four different technologies: Technologies available for CSTP plants:



What is a Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) plant ? A STE plant is a system where direct solar radiation is concentrated and then converted into thermal energy at medium/high temperature (300ºC – 800ºC). This thermal energy is then converted into electricity by a thermodynamic cycle.


Parabolic Trough Collector

Receiver Tube

Parabolic trough concentrator Structure

A typical parabolic trough collector


Solar field

Power Conversion System

Solar Power Plant with Parabolic Trough Collectors



State-of-the-Art

Scheme of a typical HTF plant with parabolic trough collectors

• The technology fully proven is the HTF (Heat Transfer Fluid) technology, with or without molten-salt storage systems


295 ºC Oil

395 ºC Oil

Steam generator

Deaerator

Reheater Oil expansion vessel

Steam turbine

Condenser G

Sola

r Fie

ld

Preheater

Superheated Steam (104bar/380ºC)

Reheated steam 17bar/371ºC

G (hot tank)

(385ºC) Molten salts (Hot tank)

Molten salts (Cold tank)

(285ºC)



There are four different technologies:

Stirling dishes

Technologies available for CSTP plants:


State-of-the-art of CSTP Plants




Concentrator Receiver

Estructure

Stirling Dish

Stirling engine


State-of-the-Art • Several designs have been developed (the 3-kWe and 25-kWe American designs and the 10 kWe European design). However, no commercial plan

is in operation

Stirling Dish

The 10kWe Envirodish design The 25kWe design by SES 3kW Stirling dish (EEUU)



There are four different technologies:

Stirling dishes

Technologies available for CSTP plants:


Compact Linear Fresnel reflectors

State-of-the-art of CSTP Plants




Receiver pipe

Rectangular reflectors

Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR)




Content


• Conclusions




Primary energy supply is dominated by fossil fuels at present

Energy in the World: Global Context

STE


• There is growing concern about climate change and environmental pollution

The use of renewable energy sources must be boosted quickly

• The current concentration of GHG in the atmosphere is 375 ppm, and it must be kept below 450 ppm to avoid irreversible environmental damage (global temperature increase over 2ºC)

• 164 different global scenarios have been analysed by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) which showed that the renewable energy share of primary energy consumption must be greatly increased (about 17% in 2030 and 27% in 2050). For this, the global cumulative investment required in the power generation sector is much less than 1% of the world GDP.

Energy in the World: Global Context


The primary energy source (solar radiation) is practically unlimited and available worldwide

It is clean energy with a great potential for cost reduction

Electricity can be easily transported over long distances at affordable costs

STE plants can significantly help to reduce the use of fossil fuels, because:

Can Solar Thermal Electricity Plants be of Help ?


The primary energy source (solar radiation) is practically unlimited and available worldwide

The Sun is a huge nuclear reactor emitting 3.8x1023 kW of radiant power

The Earth intercepts only a small fraction (1.7x1014 kW). However:

Many countries have a high or good level of solar radiation (Argelia can produce 30 times the electricity consumption of the EU)

Solar radiation reaching 1 m2 of the Earth’s surface in a year is equivalent to 1.3 barrels of oil

The world’s electricity demand could be supplied by the solar radiation existing in 1%-2% of the arid zones on Earth

Solar radiation on the Earth’s surface is 7,000 times the world primary energy demand



Potencial Comercial de los S.S.T.C

25


CSP technologies deliver clean energy and have a great potential for cost reduction

Source: ESTELA / ATKearney, Junio 2010

Cost projections for CSP technology Cost reduction achieved by PV and wind technologies

PV: 70% cost reduction from 5$/W (1998) to 1.4$/W (2010) Wind: 60% cost reduction from 4.3$/W (1984) to 1.4$/W (2010)




800 kV DC power lines can easily transport electricity over 3000 km at an affordable extra cost (< 20 €/MWh). 90% of World population lives within a distance of less than 3000 km from sunny places.



Sunny places and distance to the rest of the World




800 kV DC power lines can easily transport electricity over 3000 km at an affordable extra cost (< 20 €/MWh). 90% of World population lives within a distance of less than 3000 km from sunny places.

The MENA region is a “solar mine” that may be the perfect region for a significant commercial deployment of STP plants that would be used not only to meet local electricity demand, but also to export electricity to Europe (DESERTEC-EUMENA Proposal). The electricity loss with 800 kVDC power transmission lines is less than 10% for a distance of3000 km





Content


• Conclusions




The Spanish Experience with STE Plants

There are 50 STE plants in Spain since 2013 are they all are in routine operation, showing a great reliability and dispatchability

45 PT plants (2222,5 MWe): - Parabolic trough technology:

Eighteen 50MWe-plants with 1GWht TES One 22.5MWe-plant hybridized with biomass

Twenty six 50MWe-plants without TES

3 CR plants (49,9 MWe): Two saturated steam receiver plants

(10MWe and 20MWe)

One molten salt receiver plant (19,9MWe)

- Central receiver technology:

2 LF plants (31,4 MWe), with saturated steam and no thermal storage system

- Compact Linear Fresnel technology:


Total yearly production in 2015: 5113 GWh (89 GWh more than in 2014) accounting for 2% of total electricity demand in Spain

Monthly record of 889 GWh in July




Monthly production record 889 GWh

Historic production of STE plants in Spain

Yearly production record 5.113 GWh



STE (MWe) Total demand (GWh)

Typical Summer day

Peak contribution to the total electricity consumption > 8 % in Summer months

Max. daily contribution over 5%

Monthly contribution of 4% to the Spanish electricity market in Summer months



Total yearly production in 2015: 5113 GWh (89 GWh more than in 2014) accounting for 2% of total electricity demand in Spain

Monthly record of 889 GWh in July


Good matching between STE production and demand in Spain

These curves show how well STE production matches the demand

Electricity demand (MWh) STE production (MWh)

Demand STE production



On-line information of the Spanish electricity market at https://demanda.ree.es/demanda.html

• Climate Change and STE Plants • Climate Change and STE Plants


https://demanda.ree.es/demanda.html




Content


• Conclusions




Commercial deployment of STE plants has been aimed so far at mass production of electricity and they are connected to large electricity networks

STE Plants and Smart Grids

3 x50 MW, 7 h TES

ANDASOL Plants (Granada, Spain)



The IVANPAH project (377 Mwe, 150bar/555ºC steam) IVANPAH Unit 1 en operación (125 MWe)




Disco Stirling de 3 kWe (EEUU)


However, STE plants with Striling Dishes are very modular and can be used for small plants (from 2-3 kWe upwards)




However, STE plants with Stirling Dishes are very modular and can be used for small plants (from 2-3 kWe upwards)

Parabolic trough collectors and linear Fresnel concentrators can be implemented at small size to produce electricity coupled to Organic Rankine cycles for power units lower than 100kW

Central Receiver plant designs for 100 kW are already commercially available, hybridized with natural gas to guarantee electricity production at any time



100 kWe STE plant with Central Receiver (AORA-Solar)




However, STE plants with Striling Dishes are very modular and can be used for small plants (from 2-3 kWe upwards)

Parabolic trough collectors and linera Fresnel concentrators can be implemented at small size to produce electricity coupled to Organic Rankine cycles for power units lower than 100kW

Central Receiver plant designs for 100 kW are already commercially available, hybridized with natural gas to guarantee electricity production at any time

The high dispatchability of STE plants make them specially suitable for their integration in Smart Grids.




Content


• Conclusions




Conclusions

Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) plants are a technically feasible option to supply a significant fraction of the world energy demand

Though current cost of electricity produced by solar thermal power plants is still high, there is a large potential for cost reduction in a medium to long term

The Spanish experience concerning reliability and dispatchability of STE plants is very positive


STE technologies are feasible for both mass production of electricity and integration into small smart grids.


The largest R+D centre in the World for STE Technologies : Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA)

STE Plants and Climate Change Mitigation

Euro-Arab Training Course on “Smart Grids and Integration of Renewable Energies”

April 25-29, 2016. Granada (Spain)

Eduardo Zarza CIEMAT-Plataforma Solar de Almería, Apartado 22, Tabernas, E-04200 Almería E-mail: [email protected]

Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) and Climate Change Mitigation

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solar thermal electricity (ste) and climate change mitigation

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