Cerro Dominador Solar Thermal Plant

Cerro Dominador Solar Thermal Plant

Concentrated solar power
Location of Cerro Dominador Solar Thermal Plant in Chile
Official name Planta Solar Cerro Dominador
Country Chile
Location Antofagasta
Coordinates CL-AN 22°10′S 69°25′W / 22.167°S 69.417°W / -22.167; -69.417Coordinates: CL-AN 22°10′S 69°25′W / 22.167°S 69.417°W / -22.167; -69.417
Status Under construction
Construction began May 2014[1]
Solar field
Type CSP
CSP technology Solar power tower
Collectors 10,600
Power generation
Units under const. 1
Nameplate capacity 110 MW
Storage capacity 17.5 hours

Cerro Dominador Solar Power Plant (Spanish: Planta Solar Cerro Dominador) is a 110-megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power plant project approved by the Chilean government in 2013 and is currently being developed by Abengoa Solar Chile, a branch of the multinational Abengoa Spain. The plant will be located in the commune of María Elena[2] in the Antofagasta Region of Chile.

History

Construction started on May 2014.[1] On 29 August 2015, workers mobilization started a strike above poor working conditions.[3] Following Abengoa financial woe, construction halted on January 2016, after about 1,500 workers were fired from the project, leaving only maintenance personnel on site.[4][5] Construction progress was more than 50% complete.[6]

Cerro Dominador CSP project

The Cerro Dominador project[7] will see the construction and operation of a 110 MW concentrated solar power plant with storage in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta, located in the Atacama desert, one of the driest places with the highest solar radiation on earth. When finished, Cerro Dominador will be the largest CSP power plant with storage in Latin America.

An example of a CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) plant, also called “concentrating solar power” or “concentrated solar thermal”

Details

Technology

The Cerro Dominador project will have a 110 MW solar-thermal tower. This technology uses a series of mirrors (heliostats) that track the sun on two axes, concentrating the solar radiation on a receiver on the upper part of the tower, where the heat is transferred to molten salts.[8] The molten salts then transfer their heat in a heat exchanger to water, generating superheated steam, which feeds a turbine that transforms the kinetic energy of the steam into electric energy using the Rankine cycle.[9] In this way, the Cerro Dominador plant will be capable of generating around 110 MW of power.[10] The plant will have an advanced storage system enabling it to generate electricity for up to 17.5 hours without direct solar radiation, which allows it to provide a stable electricity supply without interruptions if required. Additionally, the plant will have a sub-station and transmission line connected to the SING (Sistema Interconectado del Norte Grande) or Norte Grande Electric Grid. The plant has an estimated lifespan of 30 to 50 years.

Funding

The cost of the project is estimated at US$1 billion, and the construction will start the second half of 2014. The Chilean government, through CORFO, will provide 20 million US dollars of funding and will also loan the land where the plant will be located. The government also negotiated loans from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, the German state-owned development bank (KfW) and the European Union.

Purpose

The project is part of Chile’s national renewable energy program, intended to provide Chile with cleaner energy, while also reducing its dependency on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Chile has set a target to produce 20% of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2025.[11]

Cerro Dominador will prevent the emission of approximately 643,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. The construction, operation and maintenance of the plant will also act as a catalyst for regional socio-economic development, creating a large number of direct and indirect jobs in construction, development, commissioning and plant operation as well as a network of services that will promote economic growth in the region.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Comienzan trabajos de primera planta termosolar en Latinoamerica". Periodista1. El Mensajero. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  2. ↑ (Spanish) Ficha del Proyecto:“PLANTA SOLAR CERRO DOMINADOR” – Location Map Servicio de evaluación ambiental retrieved January 25, 2014
  3. ↑ 5 días de paralización llevan trabajadores de proyecto Atacama 1. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Abengoa Said to Plan Return to Work on Giant Chilean Solar Plant. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Abengoa may resume work on Chilean CSP project in Q4. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Abengoa retoma construcción de millonario proyecto solar. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Ficha del Proyecto:“PLANTA SOLAR CERRO DOMINADOR” Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental
  8. ↑ Chile to welcome largest solar concentration plant in Lat Am www.thisischile.cl Thursday, January 16, 2014 retrieved January 27, 2014
  9. ↑ "Concentrating Solar Power Projects - Atacama-1". National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Abengoa to build 110MW solar tower storage plant in Chile reneweconomy.com.au/ By Giles Parkinson on 13 January 2014
  11. ↑ Chilean Congress approved new law for NCRE: 20% by 2025 Archived October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Centro de Energías Renovables retrieved January 26, 2014
  12. ↑ Abengoa to develop South America’s largest solar-thermal plant in Chile www.abengoa.com retived January 9, 2014

External links

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