Economic Viability Analysis of CSP Technology in the State of Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

This work presents an economic viability analysis of the installation of solar power plants with Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) for the cities of Assu, Caico and Mossoro of the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. The cities chosen have normal direct irradiation above 2,000 kWh/m2/year. The System Advisor Model (SAM) software was used for the simulations. In the analysis have been considered that there is or there is not Thermal Energy Systems (TES). The CSP plants analyzed have been of Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology with dry cooling system without TES and with TES, PTC plants with wet cooling without TES and with TES, Central Receiver System (CRS) technology with dry cooling without TES and with TES and CRS with wet cooling without TES and with TES. The parameters Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), which is the price per kWh of the electric power generated at the plant, and the Solar Multiple (SM), which relates the solar generation with the power generation of the plant, were analyzed. According to the results found, Caico and Mossoro had better conditions of CSP installation in relation to Assu, however Caico, does not yet have enough Sistema Interligado Nacional infrastructure to receive CSP plants.