Chile hybrid solar plant

Is a CSP + PV + med hybrid solar plant possible?

Therefore, a CSP + PV + MED hybrid solar plant for cogeneration of electricity and freshwater was proposed, considering a CRS system of 100 MWe coupled to a MED plant. The complete plant with its several operation modes was simulated in TRNSYS.

How much solar energy does Chile need?

Chile’s DNI is 3,800 kWh/m2 in the Atacama desert, the world’s highest solar resource for CSP projects. The region is not subject to sandstorms. Variable renewables, PV and wind, increasingly supply the grid, and to complement these renewables, flexible dispatchable generation, such as is provided by CSP with thermal energy storage, is needed.

Can a CSP & PV hybrid plant match a low cost?

CSP + PV hybrid schemes can match PV low costs with high capacity factor (CF), dispatchability and night generation that offer CSP with TES. The CSP + PV concept has been proposed and analyzed through different approaches. Platzer ( Platzer, 2014) carried out a study of the performance of a hybrid plant using data for Daggett, California.

Could a hybrid CSP-PV project offer a competitive advantage in Chile?

Fraunhofer has published (pdf) data on the value and competitiveness of grid services that hybrid CSP-PV projects could offer in Chile. Chile is the world’s largest producer of sodium and potassium nitrates, the molten salts used in tower CSP.

Could Chilean manufacturing benefit from CSP?

A study assessing the benefits to Chilean manufacturing estimated that Chilean industries could supply between 18% and 56% of the parts needed for CSP overall and could supply most of the thermal energy storage between building the tanks and providing the molten salts.