An analysis of the costs and opportunities for concentrating solar power in Australia

• Current rapid deployment of concentrating solar power is expected to decrease costs.
• Installed costs for CSP in Australia should be comparable or lower than elsewhere.
• Power towers appear to have greatest potential for reduction in electricity costs.
• Critical that costs of higher temperature operation don't outweigh efficiency gains.

This paper provides an overview of the costs of concentrating solar power (CSP) deployed internationally and estimates of what these costs are expected to be in Australia, both for trough and tower technologies. When an analysis is made of how to improve the efficiency of a CSP plant, there is significant potential to reduce the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of the plant through operation at higher temperatures. A comparison of tower and trough plants, at various operating temperatures, indicates that tower plants have a greater potential to reduce their LCOE at higher temperatures than troughs.