CSP+PV hybrid solar plants for power and water cogeneration in northern Chile

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 157; pp. 713 - 726
• Main Authors: Valenzuela, Carlos, Mata-Torres, Carlos, Cardemil, José M., Escobar, Rodrigo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2017; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Capacity factor; Chile; Cogeneration; Configurations; CSP + PV; Desalination; Deserts; Electricity; Electricity consumption; Energy consumption; Integration; Plant shutdowns; Power plants; Seawater; Solar desalination; Solar energy; Solar power; TRNSYS; Water consumption; TRNSYS; CSP+PV; Chile; Solar desalination
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2017.08.081

•Techno-economic analysis of a 100MW CSP+PV+MED plant is performed.•Several operation modes within or without the MED plant are proposed.•CSP+PV+MED plant decrease the capacity factor compared with a CSP+PV plant.•The maximum freshwater production occurs with small PV capacities.•The lowest LWC is achieved with 0MW PV, but lowest LCOE is achieved with 100MW PV. The integration between solar energy and seawater desalination is an interesting option in northern Chile due to a high solar potential in the Atacama Desert, where most of the mining operations are located. This industry is intensive in electricity and water consumption; therefore, there is an ideal market opportunity. The CSP+PV plant has the benefits of reduce costs, increase capacity factor and offer high dispatchability, while the integration of a MED plant presents the advantage of using the waste heat. A CSP+PV+MED plant model was performed in TRNSYS implementing a dispatch strategy that prioritize PV output and minimize the turbine shutdowns. The results show that a CSP+PV+MED plant presents a capacity factor 7.6% lower than CSP+PV plant. Regarding the operation of the turbine and the MED plant, the configurations that maximize the operating hours also maximize the performance at partial load, obtaining different PV capacities for the maximum operation hours of the turbine and MED plant. For the CSP+PV+MED plant, different CSP and PV plant configuration between optimal or suboptimal were found to minimize the LCOE and LWC. Also, the best combination between LCOE and LWC is achieved with a CSP close to optimal configuration and suboptimal PV.