Page 130 - A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems

Chapter 7 • Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 129

Although CSTP plants are still at an early stage of technical development, they are al-
ready considered a promising candidate to play a significant role in a future carbon-free
energy market.
The electricity generated by a CSTP plant is usually known as “Solar Thermal Elec-
tricity (STE).” The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted in its STE Roadmap
published in 2014 [1] that STE plants will probably be the dominant technology in the
future for middle East (with a 40% of market share) and African countries (26% of market
share) and they will play a significant role in other regions (e.g., 18% of market share in
the united States) by 2050. This forecast is based not only on the huge potential of solar
radiation but also on the many socioeconomic benefits that CSTP plants have for local
economies [2,3].
A significant commercial deployment of CSTP plants has taken place since 2000,
achieving a total installed capacity of about 5 mW e in mid-2017. A database with informa-
tion of all the CSTP plants existing worldwide can be found in Ref. [4].
Spain has played a significant role in this commercial deployment, with 50 commercial
plants in routine operation and a total installed capacity of 2.3 GW e . detailed information
about the CSTP plants located in Spain is given in Ref. [5]. However, the very low cost al-
−1
ready achieved by large PV plants (about $0.03 (kW h) in sunny countries) is at present
a significant barrier to continue with this commercial deployment, because the levelized
−1
cost of electricity produced by CSTP plants is in the order of about $0.1 (kW h) for similar
solar conditions (www.estelasolar.org). However, CSTP plants should not be considered as
competitors to PV plants, but a complement to deliver electricity not only during sunlight
hours but also at night when solar radiation is not available. This ability to store thermal
energy is the main advantage of CSTP plants [6]. This high degree of dispatchability of
CSTP plants makes them an excellent complement for PV plants which can’t store high
amount of electricity at an affordable price. So, the joint implementation of PV and CSTP
plants can meet the electricity demand not only during sunlight hours, but also overnight.
The average electricity cost of a hybrid PV and CSTP plant is not as low as PV electricity,
−1
but it is affordable at about $0.07 (kW h) and is competitive with fossil fuel plants. This
cost is even more competitive when the main benefits of the CSTP plants are taken into
account [7].
9
9
On the basis of the latest IEA estimates [1], between €39 × 10 and €57 × 10 (39–57 bil-
lion) will be invested in STE developments on average every year between 2015 and 2030,
creating 275 000–520 000 jobs worldwide. Up to 150 000 qualified jobs will be available
in Europe during these 15 years [6] covering a wide spectrum of direct activities related
to: (a) engineering, development, and financing, (b) manufacturing of components: re-
flectors, receivers, etc., (c) construction, civil, installation, and commissioning works, and
(d) operation and maintenance (O&m). In addition to direct activities, the European STE
industry will in this case also create numerous indirect jobs: research, training, transport,
information and communication activities, general maintenance services, etc. The ben-
efits that have been identified for Europe can also be extrapolated to other continents
because the high local content of CSTP plants is a major benefit. The Spanish experience