Page 15 - Design of Solar Thermal Power Plants

8 1. INTRODUCTION

facing exhaustion. In addition, with severe pollution in the global envi-
ronment, more and more governments around the world are planning
and energetically exploiting various new energies to ensure a large-scale
energy supply and maintain and satisfy rapid economic growth and the
interests of their citizens. CSP generation technology is viewed as a
low-cost sustainable power supply clean-energy technology.

1.2.1.1 Basic Concepts of Solar Thermal Power Generation
Technology
CSP generation is a system that converts solar energy into thermal
energy and generates power through thermalework conversion. The
thermalework conversion system is similar to conventional thermal
power generation except that CSP generation also contains a solar-to-
thermal conversion process; it uses a solar radiation to thermalework
coupled system. A CSP plant normally consists of thermal collection,
thermal storage, and thermalework power conversion systems. Based on
different concentration modes for the CSP generation system, the CSP
generation [2] normally can be divided into solar tower (also known as
central receiver), parabolic trough, parabolic dish, linear Fresnel reflector,
etc. Those that have already reached the commercial application level are
mainly concentrating solar tower and parabolic trough types. CSP enjoys
the advantages of comparatively mature techniques, low power generation
costs, and minor impacts on the power grid; thus it has been deemed the
most promising among various renewable energy power-generation
modes. Meanwhile, CSP thermalework conversion is partially similar to
that of a conventional thermal generator unit. Existing mature techniques
can be utilized, and thus CSP is especially suitable for large-scale appli-
cations. In 2018, a total capacity of 5206 MW was connected to the power
grid all over the world, with 1048 MW under construction, and 3691 MW
under development.
As mentioned in “Technology Roadmaps Concentrating Solar Power,”
released by the International Energy Agency in September 2014 under a
proper policy support, it was estimated that by 2050 the cumulative
installed capacity of global CSP generation facilities would reach
1089 GW with a mean capacity factor of 50% (4380 h/year), an annual
power generation of 4770 TWh that would account for 11.3% of global
power production (9.6% of which derives from pure solar energy), and
China’s CSP generation would account for 4% of the global amount with
an annual power generation of about 190 TWh. In areas with excellent
solar resources, CSP generation is expected to become a competitive large-
capacity power supply that will undertake peak modulation and medium
power load by the year 2020 and basic load power generation by 2025e30.
Based on geographic information system analysis, the potential capacity
for the installation of CSP generation in China that meets the basic
2
conditions for CSP generationddirect normal irradiation 5 kWh/(m day)