Operational Experience of US CSP Projects
SolarReserve Crescent Dunes CSP Project, near Tonopah, Nevada, has an electricity generating capacity of 110 megawatts. (credit: SolarReserve) NREL SEGS Ref: NREL Ivanpah Ref: Ucsusa
Bob Charles Senior Principal Consultant First Sun Tracking Parabolic Trough in Cairo, Egypt - 1912
Frank Shuman American Inventor
2 Operational Experience of US CSP Projects
US Concentrating Solar Projects • Genesis Solar Energy Project • Mojave Solar Energy Project • Nevada Solar One Energy Project • Solana Energy Project • Ivanpah Energy Project • Crescent Dunes Energy Project • Martin Next Generating Solar • SEGS Energy Projects US Concentrating Solar Projects
US Loan Guarantee Program supported the Generation profile shows that after initial development of innovative technologies for clean energy projects including CSP resulting in an break-in period the plants are operating well increase of 1268 MW Net Generation Capacity (except Crescent Dunes) including Storage (Solana – 6 hrs. and Crescent Dunes 10 hrs.) • SEGS I & II out of service after 30 years of operation – • SEGS VI & VII not generating in 2019 – out of service after 30 US CSP Generation Capacity 1694 MW years of operation • 2019 generation includes Dec. average from preceding 3 years
Genesis Solar Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Break Ground December 15, 2010 Location Blythe, CA Start Production March 2014 Developer NextEra Energy Resources Construction 38.5 months
Owner NextEra Turbine Two 125-MWnet units Offtaker PG&E Cooling
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Mojave Solar Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Start Production December 2014 Location Harper Dry Lake, CA Construction 40 months
Developer Abengoa Solar Turbine Two 125-MWnet units Offtaker PG&E Cooling Wet Break Ground August 2011
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Nevada Solar One Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Construction 16 months Location Boulder City, NV Turbine 75.5 MW
Developer Acciona Solar Power Plant Output 69 MW net Offtaker NV Energy Cooling Wet Break Ground February 2006 Storage 0.5 hours – HTF Start Production June 2007
Generation in May and June 2018 vs. 2019
May Jun 2018 15,677 19,517 2019 12,168 16,321
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Solana Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Start Production October 7, 2013 Location Phoenix, AZ Construction 34 months
Developer Abengoa Solar Turbine Two 125-MWnet units Offtaker Arizona Public Service Cooling 6 hours, molten salt Break Ground December 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Ivanpah Energy Project
Technology Power Tower Start Production January 2014 Location Prim, NV Construction 39 months Developer Brightsource Energy Heat Transfer Fluid Water
Offtaker PG&E and SCE Turbine Three units total of 377 MWnet Break Ground October 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Crescent Dunes Energy Project
Technology Power Tower Construction 50 months Location Tonopah, NV Heat Transfer Fluid Molten Salt
Developer SolarReserve Turbine 110 MWnet Break Ground September 2011 Storage 10 hours, Molten Salt Start Production November 2015
The startup and first years of operation at Crescent Dunes have been disappointing. The startup was delayed for many months and the plant is still not performing as designed. • In the first year of operation, Crescent Dunes demonstrated its design value for the receiver, storage system, and generation of power and daily output • The biggest problems (salt tank, downcomer piping and valve design, heat exchangers, and observing manufacturer’s specification for thermal transients and steam chemistry control) are where engineers believe were and are well understood. There are no technical reasons why a molten salt tower could not be designed, constructed and operated successfully. Others have done so and are doing so now. Martin Next Generation Solar
Technology Parabolic Trough Technology (ISCC) Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Location Indiantown, FL Net Turbine Capacity 75 MW Developer Florida Power & Light Break Ground 2009 Start Production December 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years SEGS Energy Projects
Technology Parabolic Trough Offtaker SCE
Location California SEGS III to VII – 30 MWnet Developer Luz Turbines SEGS VIII & IX – 80 MWnet Commercial Operation 1984 to 1990 SEGS III to IX – 310 MWnet SEGS III-VII (150 MW) NextEra (Kramer Junction) SEGS VIII & IX (160 MW) Terra-Gen (Harper Lake)
• SEGS I & II out of service after 30 years of operation • SEGS VI & VII not generating in 2019 – out of service after 30 years of operation
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years Copyright 2020 Sargent & Lundy, L.L.C.