Concentrated solar thermal power in Saudi Arabia: Definition and simulation of alternative scenarios

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched ambitious plans to integrate alternative energy sources into the national grid, including 25 GW of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP). There are several options available for the design of a CSP plant, including collection technologies, solar thermal receivers, heat transfer fluids, and energy storage capacities. In this study, a techno-economic analysis has been conducted, considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for each technology in order to build a common understanding and vision. The analysis outcomes were incorporated with the Saudi energy sector requirements and local weather conditions to define alternative scenarios. Six power plant scenarios were defined for performance and financial evaluation. This includes parabolic trough, solar tower, and linear Fresnel collection technologies. A simulation was subsequently carried out through the System Advisor Model (SAM). The alternative scenarios were assessed through defining weather, technical, and financial parameters. Satellite observations and field measured data were combined to obtain a typical meteorological year weather data for the capital city Riyadh. The SWOT analysis revealed that the parabolic trough collectors are the most mature and that they are adopted in a majority of operational CSP projects, which is a key factor at the early stages of CSP integration in Saudi Arabia. Solar towers are gaining popularity owing to their ability to incorporate high levels of energy storage. The simulation results depicted significant capacity factors per initial cost as well as annual energy for solar tower scenarios. The linear Fresnel technique is in its infancy for large-scale operations, yet the results showed a high potential, including the lowest levelized cost of energy compared to other scenarios. The findings of this research will help assess alternatives for CSP projects with consideration of all relevant criteria.