A new generation of CSP technology
Concentrated solar power (CSP) utilizes large-scale arrays of heliostats to collect solar thermal energy (thermal accounted for 60% of solar energy), then utilized it by traditional steam turbines to generate electricity. Compared to other renewable energy techniques:
The advantage of 24 hours stable high quality electricity is dominant, which comes from the heat storage characteristic of CSP;
Its process is environmentally friendly, avoiding the use of costly components (such as silicon), high pollution and high energy consumption processes. Thus, it greatly reduces the total cost of solar power;
Supplements are mature, including mirror field component manufacture, and power plant assembling (transformation from traditional coal power plants).
Market judgment
The CSP is valued globally. Plenty of counties has defined it as one of the fundamental national grid load in renewable energy policy.
U.S. federal government guaranteed billions of dollars loan for CSP plant construction. The installed capacity of a project in Southern California is about 400 MW. The Desertec plan in Europe, which cost 400 billion euro, built a super CSP network covering North Africa and the Middle East, to meet 15 % of electricity demand in Europe. Saudi Arabia has planned to make solar power account for 1/3 of the total national power consumption in 20 years, most of which are CSP electricity.
The latest China Industrial Guidance Catalogue shows that the utilization of CSP high temperature is in the first place in alternative energy. The Twelfth Five-year Plan set a goal of 1GW installed capacity, which means 20 billion yuan market value. Development and Reform Commission, and Energy Bureau have begun relevant work in full swing to formulate electricity price. Also, National association of industry and commerce have shown great support.
As of 2012, the 50MW Inner Mongolia Thermal Power Plant which was bidden by China Datang Corporation, a 200MW project of Chian Guodian Corporation, 50MW Jinta Project of China Huadian Corporation, a 100MW project of China General Nuclear Power Corporation and China Power Investment Corporation, 50MW Delingha Project of SUPCON Corporation, and other projects have already been approved. The total installed capacity was far more than 1GW.
Sustainable development
By 2020, the cost of CSP electricity can be reduced to 5 cents / kWh (data from U.S. DOE); while the cost of traditional electricity will inevitably keep rising, due to constraints of coal resource and logistics, environmental taxes and other factors. Thus, the market capacity of CSP is about several billions.
By 2015, global CSP installed capacity will reach 24.5GW, and compound growth rate is 90% (data from IEA).
Noticing this opportunity, many CSP components manufacturing companies have taken into action, such as Rayspower Energy Group Corporation, Himin Solar Co., Linuo Solar Corporation. However, there are few corporations that is precisely focused on systemic research and implementation, and fewer for tower system. Because the tower components are entirely relied on mature manufacturing. It is hard to reach the requirements for heliostat’s field design and core control system.
Original Beam Down/Tower Reflector CSP system
Innovations
1. Unique secondary reflection technique realized high-temperature molten salt heat storage, which determined whether solar thermal energy power would large-scale develop. Only 2 companies processed this technique all over the world by now, which took nearly 10 years to develop it. The secondary reflection technique made it possible to place high-temperature molten salt system on the ground (traditional way is placing it on top of towers). Thus, it ensured the feasibility of the system and power plant safety, significantly reduced the auxiliary power supply (equivalent to 10% increase of plant output), and realized 24 hours stable power output.
* National 973 Project, the United States and Japan have begun to conduct relevant research, however, our technology has successful passed system tests, and achieved desired goals.
2. The manufacture costs has significantly reduced, due to our original two-dimensional high concentration ratio heliostat, advanced mechanics and motion design, production standardization design and national production.
3. Unique modular design and standardized floating design simplified the engineering requirements, effectively reduced the engineering and construction costs, improve land utilization by 15%.
These benefits ensure that our price as low as 0.72 yuan / kWh (LCOE), which is much lower than other competitors (compared with foreign companies’ 2 to 3 yuan, and domestic companies’ 1 yuan). Based on our blueprint, we will try to decrease the price to 0.36 yuan / kWh in 5 years.
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Traditional coal
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Wind Power
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General PV
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General CSP
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Shanghai Parasol renewable Energy Co.
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Initial condition
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Guaranteed coal supply, land occupation is relatively small, initial scale is large
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Wind resource required, land occupation is large, initial scale varies
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Light resource required, land occupation is large, initial scale varies
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Light resource required, land occupation is large, initial scale is large
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Light resource required, land occupation is large, initial scale is large
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Cost
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0.25
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0.4
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0.7-0.9
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1-3
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0.72
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Stable output
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Easy to be achieved
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Can’t be achieved (economic stable output)
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Can’t be achieved (economic stable output)
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Can be achieved
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Easy to be achieved
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Components
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Turbine technology is mature, large-scale and supercritical technology is under development
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Core components need to be imported, domestic R & D remains to be improved
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Western countries owned core component technology
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Few international corporations owned core component technology
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Domestic manufacturing is possible
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Pollution & Energy consumption
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High pollution, high energy consumption
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Low
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High pollution, high energy consumption (crystalline silicon production)
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Low
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Low
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Advantages
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Cannot be completely replaced in a short period, as the national base load
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Supplement for life electricity and base electricity (depending on peak power control, generally less than 10%)
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Flexible land occupation, suitable for city or modular design
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Installed capacity is large, high quality electricity, suitable to be the national base load
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Installed capacity is large, high quality electricity, high reliability, suitable to be the national base load
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——试验示范（上海交通大学闵行校区内）——