Operational Experience of US CSP Projects
SolarReserve Crescent Dunes CSP Project, near Tonopah, Nevada, has an electricity generating capacity of 110 megawatts. (credit: SolarReserve) NREL
Ivanpah Ref: Ucsusa
SEGS Ref: NREL
Bob Charles
Senior Principal Consultant
First Sun Tracking Parabolic Trough in Cairo, Egypt - 1912
2
Frank Shuman
American Inventor
Operational Experience of US CSP Projects
US Concentrating Solar Projects
• Genesis Solar Energy Project
• Mojave Solar Energy Project
• Nevada Solar One Energy Project
• Solana Energy Project
• Ivanpah Energy Project
• Crescent Dunes Energy Project
• Martin Next Generating Solar
• SEGS Energy Projects
US Concentrating Solar Projects
US Loan Guarantee Program supported the development of innovative technologies for clean energy projects including CSP resulting in an increase of 1268 MW Net Generation Capacity including Storage (Solana – 6 hrs. and Crescent Dunes – 10 hrs.)
US CSP Generation Capacity 1694 MW
Generation profile shows that after initial break-in period the plants are operating well (except Crescent Dunes)
• SEGS I & II out of service after 30 years of operation
• SEGS VI & VII not generating in 2019 – out of service after 30 years of operation
• 2019 generation includes Dec. average from preceding 3 years
Genesis Solar Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Break Ground December 15, 2010
Location Blythe, CA Start Production March 2014
Developer NextEra Energy Resources Construction 38.5 months
Owner NextEra Turbine Two 125-MWnet units
Offtaker PG&E Cooling
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
Mojave Solar Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Start Production December 2014
Location Harper Dry Lake, CA Construction 40 months
Developer Abengoa Solar Turbine Two 125-MWnet units
Offtaker PG&E Cooling Wet
Break Ground August 2011
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
Nevada Solar One Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Construction 16 months
Location Boulder City, NV Turbine 75.5 MW
Developer Acciona Solar Power Plant Output 69 MWnet
Offtaker NV Energy Cooling Wet
Break Ground February 2006 Storage 0.5 hours – HTF
Start Production June 2007
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
Generation in May and June
2018 vs. 2019
May Jun
2018 15,677 19,517
2019 12,168 16,321
Solana Energy Project
Technology Parabolic Trough Start Production October 7, 2013
Location Phoenix, AZ Construction 34 months
Developer Abengoa Solar Turbine Two 125-MWnet units
Offtaker Arizona Public Service Cooling 6 hours, molten salt
Break Ground December 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
Ivanpah Energy Project
Technology Power Tower Start Production January 2014
Location Prim, NV Construction 39 months
Developer Brightsource Energy Heat Transfer Fluid Water
Offtaker PG&E and SCE Turbine Three units total of 377 MWnet
Break Ground October 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
Crescent Dunes Energy Project
Technology Power Tower Construction 50 months
Location Tonopah, NV Heat Transfer Fluid Molten Salt
Developer SolarReserve Turbine 110 MWnet
Break Ground September 2011 Storage 10 hours, Molten Salt
Start Production November 2015
The startup and first years of operation at Crescent Dunes have been
disappointing. The startup was delayed for many months and the plant is still not performing as designed. • In the first year of operation, Crescent Dunes demonstrated its design
value for the receiver, storage system, and generation of power and daily output
• The biggest problems (salt tank, downcomer piping and valve design, heat exchangers, and observing manufacturer’s specification for thermal transients and steam chemistry control) are where engineers believe
were and are well understood. There are no technical reasons why a molten salt tower could not be
designed, constructed and operated successfully. Others have done so and are doing so now.
Martin Next Generation Solar
Technology Parabolic Trough Technology (ISCC) Integrated Solar Combined Cycle
Location Indiantown, FL Net Turbine Capacity 75 MW
Developer Florida Power & Light
Break Ground 2009
Start Production December 2010
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
SEGS Energy Projects
Technology Parabolic Trough Offtaker SCE
Location California
Turbines
SEGS III to VII – 30 MWnet
Developer Luz SEGS VIII & IX – 80 MWnet
Commercial Operation 1984 to 1990 SEGS III to IX – 310 MWnet
SEGS III-VII (150 MW) NextEra (Kramer Junction) SEGS VIII & IX (160 MW) Terra-Gen (Harper Lake)
Generation Data from EIA. 2019 Generation includes average of December for previous 3 years
• SEGS I & II out of
service after 30 years of operation
• SEGS VI & VII not
generating in 2019 – out of service after
30 years of operation
Copyright 2020 Sargent & Lundy, L.L.C.
