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Costs of reducing water use of concentrating solar power to sustainable levels: Scenarios for North Africa

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  • Damerau, Kerstin
  • Williges, Keith
  • Patt, Anthony G.
  • Gauché, Paul

Abstract

Concentrating solar power (CSP) has the potential to become a leading sustainable energy technology for the European electricity system. In order to reach a substantial share in the energy mix, European investment in CSP appears most profitable in North Africa, where solar potential is significantly higher than in southern Europe. As well as sufficient solar irradiance, however, the majority of today's CSP plants also require a considerable amount of water, primarily for cooling purposes. In this paper we examine water usage associated with CSP in North Africa, and the cost penalties associated with technologies that could reduce those needs. We inspect four representative sites to compare the ecological and economical drawbacks from conventional and alternative cooling systems, depending on the local environment, and including an outlook with climate change to the mid-century. Scaling our results up to a regional level indicates that the use of wet cooling technologies would likely be unsustainable. Dry cooling systems, as well as sourcing of alternative water supplies, would allow for sustainable operation. Their cost penalty would be minor compared to the variance in CSP costs due to different average solar irradiance values.

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  • Damerau, Kerstin & Williges, Keith & Patt, Anthony G. & Gauché, Paul, 2011. "Costs of reducing water use of concentrating solar power to sustainable levels: Scenarios for North Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 4391-4398, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:7:p:4391-4398
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    5. Chen, Hao & Liu, Simin & Liu, Qiufeng & Shi, Xueli & Wei, Wendong & Han, Rong & Küfeoğlu, Sinan, 2021. "Estimating the impacts of climate change on electricity supply infrastructure: A case study of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    6. Lamnatou, Chr. & Chemisana, D., 2017. "Concentrating solar systems: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental issues," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 916-932.
    7. Lilliestam, Johan & Bielicki, Jeffrey M. & Patt, Anthony G., 2012. "Comparing carbon capture and storage (CCS) with concentrating solar power (CSP): Potentials, costs, risks, and barriers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 447-455.
    8. Xu, Xinhai & Vignarooban, K. & Xu, Ben & Hsu, K. & Kannan, A.M., 2016. "Prospects and problems of concentrating solar power technologies for power generation in the desert regions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1106-1131.
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    10. Boukelia, T.E. & Bouraoui, A. & Laouafi, A. & Djimli, S. & Kabar, Y., 2020. "3E (Energy-Exergy-Economic) comparative study of integrating wet and dry cooling systems in solar tower power plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    11. Madhlopa, Amos & Sparks, Debbie & Keen, Samantha & Moorlach, Mascha & Krog, Pieter & Dlamini, Thuli, 2015. "Optimization of a PV–wind hybrid system under limited water resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 324-331.
    12. Köberle, Alexandre C. & Gernaat, David E.H.J. & van Vuuren, Detlef P., 2015. "Assessing current and future techno-economic potential of concentrated solar power and photovoltaic electricity generation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 739-756.
    13. Purohit, Ishan & Purohit, Pallav & Shekhar, Shashaank, 2013. "Evaluating the potential of concentrating solar power generation in Northwestern India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 157-175.
    14. Boukelia, T.E. & Ghellab, A. & Laouafi, A. & Bouraoui, A. & Kabar, Y., 2020. "Cooling performances time series of CSP plants: Calculation and analysis using regression and ANN models," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 809-827.
    15. George A. Gonzalez, 2016. "Transforming Energy: Solving Climate Change with Technology Policy . New York : Cambridge University Press . 360 pages. ISBN 9781107614970, $29.99 paperback. Anthony Patt , 2015 ," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 33(1), pages 111-113, January.
    16. del Sol, Felipe & Sauma, Enzo, 2013. "Economic impacts of installing solar power plants in northern Chile," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 489-498.
    17. Tarun Kumar Aseri & Chandan Sharma & Tara C. Kandpal, 2022. "Condenser cooling technologies for concentrating solar power plants: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 4511-4565, April.
    18. Chen, Fuying & Yang, Qing & Zheng, Niting & Wang, Yuxuan & Huang, Junling & Xing, Lu & Li, Jianlan & Feng, Shuanglei & Chen, Guoqian & Kleissl, Jan, 2022. "Assessment of concentrated solar power generation potential in China based on Geographic Information System (GIS)," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    19. Palenzuela, Patricia & Roca, Lidia & Asfand, Faisal & Patchigolla, Kumar, 2022. "Experimental assessment of a pilot scale hybrid cooling system for water consumption reduction in CSP plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    20. Labordena, Mercè & Patt, Anthony & Bazilian, Morgan & Howells, Mark & Lilliestam, Johan, 2017. "Impact of political and economic barriers for concentrating solar power in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 52-72.

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