Solar Thermal Projects In The World
Gone are the days when one used to hear Solar Thermal projects that are 10MW and 20MW. Now a days the smaller size power plants do get made but the thermal technology is so low tech that there is immense profit in larger projects. The advantages of having a larger project is much more than having a smaller project. Thus it is the norm today to announce projects of GW sized projects.
For example in the year 2011 the growth of the industry in the whole world was just 1.17 giga watts (GW) of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plants. Spain is by default the leader in this segment with about 582 MW of installations.
For example in the year 2011 the growth of the industry in the whole world was just 1.17 giga watts (GW) of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plants. Spain is by default the leader in this segment with about 582 MW of installations.
The idea how a Solar Thermal Plant works. The reflected light focused at the central tube is 71 to 80 times more intense than the ordinary sunlight.
But today about 17 GW of CSP projects are under development worldwide. Today the standings are as below:
1. United States leads with about 8 GW
2. Spain ranks second with 4.46 GW in development
3. China is developing some 2.5 GW and
4. India has planned almost a GW of installation.
1. United States leads with about 8 GW
2. Spain ranks second with 4.46 GW in development
3. China is developing some 2.5 GW and
4. India has planned almost a GW of installation.
The best thing about these concentrated power plants are that they are very quick to mushroom so most of the time the figures mentioned are wrong especially if they are more than a year old and you can be sure there are almost double the number in development and most of them can easily be planned, installed and commissioned all within one year.
World’s largest Solar Thermal Power Plant:
The 392 MW Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, located in California's Mojave Desert, is the world’s largest solar thermal power plant project currently in operation. There are plans to build many other large solar thermal plants.
The 392 MW Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, located in California's Mojave Desert, is the world’s largest solar thermal power plant project currently in operation. There are plans to build many other large solar thermal plants.
Areva-Solar
India’s first concentrated solar power (CSP) plant under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) has been commissioned by Godawari Green Energy Limited (GGEL), a BSE listed company of Chhattisgarh-based Hira group of Industries.
The CSP plant allotted to GGEL under JNNSM, Phase–I, started injecting power to the Grid on June 5, 2013. In a ceremony organized on June 6th to mark the feat, JP Tiwari, CEO, GGEL, officially announced the commissioned of the plant in presence of officials and employees of the company.
GGEL has deployed parabolic trough CSP technology with state of the art SKAL-ET 150 trough structure in constructing this 50-MW power plant located near the Nokh Village in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. The electricity produced at the plant could be used to light around 2.5 million homes in the country with clean energy.
The CSP plant allotted to GGEL under JNNSM, Phase–I, started injecting power to the Grid on June 5, 2013. In a ceremony organized on June 6th to mark the feat, JP Tiwari, CEO, GGEL, officially announced the commissioned of the plant in presence of officials and employees of the company.
GGEL has deployed parabolic trough CSP technology with state of the art SKAL-ET 150 trough structure in constructing this 50-MW power plant located near the Nokh Village in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. The electricity produced at the plant could be used to light around 2.5 million homes in the country with clean energy.
Free Energy can create more jobs than Nuclear Energy. Above all the Solar Energy methods are far safer. They can also be spread much more widely and near to the human settlement than Nuclear can ever be.
India’s ambitious JNNSM programme aims to install 20,000 MW of solar power capacity in the country by 2022, which includes both solar PV and CSP technologies. While solar PV has been the primary reason for installing over 1.7GW of solar energy in the country, CSP has faltered. Now, with the country’s first CSP plant under JNNSM being commissioned it is believed that other projects may also see the light of the day soon.
Very large scale solar power plants
There are several proposals for gigawatt size, very large scale solar power plants. They include the Euro-Mediterranean Desertec proposal, Project Helios in Greece (10 gigawatt), and Ordos (2 gigawatt) in China.
The gigawatt size projects are arrays of single plants. The largest single plant in operation is 80 MW (SEGS VIII and SEGS IX) and the largest single plant in construction is 370 MW (Ivanpah Solar). In 2012, the BLM made available 97,921,069 acres of land in the southwestern United States for solar projects, enough for between 10,000 and 20,000 gigawatts. Some of the other giant projects are:
There are several proposals for gigawatt size, very large scale solar power plants. They include the Euro-Mediterranean Desertec proposal, Project Helios in Greece (10 gigawatt), and Ordos (2 gigawatt) in China.
The gigawatt size projects are arrays of single plants. The largest single plant in operation is 80 MW (SEGS VIII and SEGS IX) and the largest single plant in construction is 370 MW (Ivanpah Solar). In 2012, the BLM made available 97,921,069 acres of land in the southwestern United States for solar projects, enough for between 10,000 and 20,000 gigawatts. Some of the other giant projects are:
- The Blythe Solar Power Project is a proposed 968 MW solar thermal power station to be located in Riverside County, California. It will be of parabolic trough design, and the companies involved are Solar Millennium and Chevron.
- The Calico Solar Energy Project is a proposed 850 MW solar thermal power station to be located in San Bernardino County, California. It will be of stirling engine design and the company involved is Tessera Solar.
- The Imperial Valley Solar Project (formerly SES Solar Two) is a proposed 709 MW solar thermal power station to be located in Imperial County, California. It will be of stirling engine design and the company involved is Tessera Solar.
Investments in Yr 2015 and by 2050 25% of Electricity produced would be from CSP
The Future:
A study done by Greenpeace found that concentrated solar power could account for up to 25% of the world's energy needs by 2050.
The increase in investment would be from 2 billion Euros worldwide to 92.5 billion Euros in that time period. Spain is the leader in concentrated solar power technology, with more than 50 government-approved projects in the works. Also, it exports its technology, further increasing the technology's stake in energy worldwide. Because the technology works best with areas of high insolation (solar radiation), experts predict the biggest growth in places like Africa, Mexico, and the southwest United States.
The Study indicates that the thermal storage systems based in nitrates (calcium, potassium, sodium,...) will make the CSP plants more and more profitable.
A study done by Greenpeace found that concentrated solar power could account for up to 25% of the world's energy needs by 2050.
The increase in investment would be from 2 billion Euros worldwide to 92.5 billion Euros in that time period. Spain is the leader in concentrated solar power technology, with more than 50 government-approved projects in the works. Also, it exports its technology, further increasing the technology's stake in energy worldwide. Because the technology works best with areas of high insolation (solar radiation), experts predict the biggest growth in places like Africa, Mexico, and the southwest United States.
The Study indicates that the thermal storage systems based in nitrates (calcium, potassium, sodium,...) will make the CSP plants more and more profitable.
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