Here is Solana, the world’s largest parabolic trough plant and the first solar plant in the United States with thermal energy storage allowing for electricity to be produced at night.
What is done in this part of the world is phenomenal, in terms of
technologies, ambitions, funding and human resources.
Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B), the international company that applies innovative
technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors,
announced that the Solana GeneratingStation has successfully passed final production tests
and entered commercial operation since Monday 6, 2013.
Connectikpeople has observed that, at 280 megawatts (gross), Solana is the
world’s
largest parabolic trough plant and the first solar plant in the United
States with thermal energy storage allowing for electricity to be produced at
night.
This means:
Solana produces electricity at full capacity for up to six hours after
sunset, using Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology with solar thermal
storage.
Solana’s thermal storage system will help satisfy Arizona’s peak
electricity demand by storing energy that can be used by APS to produce
electricity when needed by customers during the summer evenings and night time
hours.
The solar thermal storage also eliminates intermittency issues that other
renewables, such as wind and photovoltaics, contend with, providing stability
to the grid and thus increasing the value of the energy generated by CSP.
The process begins with 2,700 parabolic trough mirrors, which follow the
sun to focus its heat on a pipe containing a heat transfer fluid. This fluid, a
synthetic oil, can reach a temperature of 735 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat
transfer fluid then flows to steam boilers, where it heats water to create
steam. The steam drives two 140-megawatt turbines to produce electricity, much
like a traditional power plant.
The thermal energy storage system includes six pairs of hot and cold tanks
with a capacity of 125,000 metric tons of salt, and the molten salt is kept at
a minimum temperature of 530 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the sun goes down, the heat transfer fluid can be heated by the molten
salt to create steam by running it through the tanks instead of the field of
parabolic mirrors.
Finally, Connectikpeople may recall that, the total investment of the plant
is approximately $2 billion and during financing, Solana received a federal
loan guarantee for $1.45 billion from the United States Department of Energy
Federal Loan Guarantee Program. This support, along with APS contracting to
purchase the power, made the construction of Solana possible, creating more
than 2,000 jobs and a national supply chain that spans 165 companies in 29
states.
Abengoa currently has a total installed capacity of 1,223 MW in operation
and 430 MW under construction, including both PV and CSP.
About Abengoa
Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B) applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in
the energy and environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable
resources, converting biomass into biofuels and producing drinking water from
sea water.
About APS
APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves more
than 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters
in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West
Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
