World's Largest Concentrating Solar Power Plant to Come Up in Abu Dhabi

June 12th, 2010 by Mridul Chadha

A consortium of some of the most renowned energy companies in the world would construct the world’s largest concentrating solar power plant near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The plant would have a capacity of 100 MW.

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France’s oil company Total, one of the six ‘super major’ oil companies in the world, and Spain’s Abengoa Solar will join hands with Abu Dhabi-based alternate energy company Masdar to build this power plant which would span 2.5 square kilometers (one square mile). The project will be located in Madinat Zayed, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Abu Dhabi.

According to company estimates, the cost of the project is expected to be around $600 million and the project would offset 170,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The plant will comprise of concentrating mirrors which will focus the solar energy on tube passing through their foci. The tube will contain an oil which will absorb the sun’s heat which will then convert water into steam to drive a steam turbine and produce electricity through a generator.

According to the project manager, the electricity generated will be used for providing electricity through the daytime when the demand peaks due to heavy airconditioning requirements. The power plant will be complemented with an power generation system based on natural gas in order to fulfill the demand in the absence of adequate sunlight.

The project would help Abu Dhabi achieve its target of generating seven percent of the electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. The construction of the plant would commence in the third quarter of this year and would be completed by 2012 and the company intends to construct two more such projects in the future.

The construction of world’s largest concentrating solar power plant in the country having the sixth largest proven oil reserves speaks volumes about the urgent need for transition to renewable energy technologies. Several developed and developing countries continue to see fossil fuels as their primary energy resource even for the long term. Many countries like India and China are looking to expand their strategic strongholds in countries with ample reserves of oil, natural gas and coal. Countries like the United States and Canada are either looking for domestic oil reserves or are debating about whether to increase investments into renewable energy technologies or not.

Talks about achieving energy independence are virtually meaningless if we do not consider renewable energy resources and so is short-term energy planning. Planning about future energy demands and their fulfillment can only be done if we realize that we have only limited conventional energy resources and we must initiate the transition to clean energy resources today. Surely, construction of such large-scale power plants is not always viable given the global economic slowdown but lawmakers could at least show a sincere intent for promoting clean energy technologies by not blocking new energy policies.

Hat tip: AFP/ Yahoo News

Photo credit: Worklife Siemens at Flickr/ Creative Commons

The views presented in the above article are author’s personal views and do not represent those of TERI/TERI University where the author is currently pursuing a Master’s degree.

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Tags: abu dhabi, Masdar, Total, UAE

About the Author

Mridul Chadha currently works as Head-News & Data at Climate Connect Limited, a market research and analytics firm in the renewable energy and carbon markets domain. He earned his Master’s in Technology degree from The Energy & Resources Institute in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management. He also has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. Mridul has a keen interest in renewable energy sector in India and emerging carbon markets like China and Australia.

http://www.hb-invest.com.cn David Zhao

Hi, everybody,
I’m the managing director of Huabao Asia Development Ltd. Hong Kong, an investment company based in Suzhou, China. Zhendan Photovoltaic Technology Company, one of Huabao’s directors, hopes to join hands in partnership with firms based in the Middle East. Quick response and contact will be highly appreciated.

David
http://capitalsolarpower.com Ottawa Solar Power

The fact is that solar energy is becoming increasingly cost effective. There have been many advancements in the technology recently that make it a viable option. It is clear, in light of the recent oil crisis with BP, that it is necessary for us to actively pursue alternative energy sources. Whether or not the plan is perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
http://www.mcarthurmurray.com Robert Sternberg

Hi Mridul, i am with an executive search firm based in Dubai, U.A.E.. I am currently searching for a Project Manager for one of the top engineering consultancies having global presence. A Project Manager that has experience with CSP.

Being new to the solar industry, particularly Concentrating Solar Power, i would like to ask for your advise regarding companies that excel is CSP. I have read in articles that CSP is not just a solar technology that can be applied anywhere but has criterias to make the CSP project a viable one.

I am aware that Spain and the U.S. are the top countries that invests in CSP projects. In your opinion, does Asia invests on CSP heavily as well or are they more into PV ? Best regards.
Mridul Chadha

And what about the security threats, waste management, danger of toxic spills and the scarce fuel add to that the strategic mess it could create for the whole region. You will have no such problems with the solar power plant. Even the developed countries like the US, UK and France are struggling to manage the nuclear waste.
Sven

“They’re not short of space in the desert”

Do you really think that’s a legit reason to ignore the HUGE difference in energy per square meter compared to nuclear energy?

It is possible to turn desert back into productive land that is able to support trees that would actually do something to correct any carbon problems we may have. But instead, you would rather support this silly technology that won’t put any kind of dent in carbon emissions with it’s minuscule energy production.

Keep up the good work.
John B

I fail to see why it wouldn’t be cost effective to STORE the heat over night and during the few cloudy days they have. They could skip the cost of the gas plant and put it towards heat storage; the temp at night or a cloudy day is likely still hot enough to make insulated hot oil tanks possible.
DavidCG

@Rod Adams,

You’re missing the obvious: power draw in hot climates is primarily during the day for air conditioning.

Also, the technology already exists to have 24 hour solar thermal electricity: http://www.beyondzeroemissions.org/media/releases/solar-power-all-through-night-100202

And the cost trajectory for all renewable energy is rapidly down – the opposite of nuclear. That might explain why French nuclear firm, Areva is investing in solar thermal: http://climateprogress.org/2010/02/16/french-nuclear-giant-areva-buys-ausra-concentrated-solar-thermal-power-market-csp/

> …covers a larger area…

They’re not short of space in the desert.
Bill Woods

“span 2.5 square meters ( one square mile).” should be

‘span 2.5 square kilometers (one square mile).’

$600 M/100 MW(peak) ~ $18/W(average)

I guess burning gas to get useful power beats simply flaring it off.
Ben

Small mistake in the article:

“2.5 square meters ( one square mile)”

Also, Is the plant close to the ocean? do you know if they will be using it to convert salt water to fresh water? This process can be done for “free” with concentrated solar plants and Abu Dhabi uses quite a lot of energy in desalination plants.
http://atomicinsights.blogspot.com Rod Adams

PS – here are a couple of links to articles describing the UAE’s nuclear decision:

http://djysrv.blogspot.com/2010/05/uae-picks-sites-to-build-four-reactors.html

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_UAE_has_its_first_nuclear_site_2304102.html
http://atomicinsights.blogspot.com Rod Adams

Mridul – unless Abu Dhabi is on another planet that does not rotate, it receives sunlight only half of the time on average and the sunlight that it does receive is reduced in intensity by the sine of the elevation angle. In the sunniest of locations around the world, the average measure of solar intensity is about 25% of the peak value.

Do you have any real data about the quantity of gas that will be burned? Having visited the Middle East, I know that they often shift a lot of their productive work hours to periods when the sun is not high in the sky or even visible in the sky. How does their normal power demand vary on a time of day basis?

Finally, it is worth pointing out that the UAE is planning to build four nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 5,600 MWe that might be able to achieve average capacity factors of 80-90%. That technology is far more likely to be a long term replacement for fossil fuel consumption; a 100 MWe (peak power) solar plant with natural gas supplements that covers a larger area than all four nuclear plants combined will cover is a mere distraction compared to that.
Balaji Kartha

Could you put me in touch with Abengoa Solar? Any idea if they would be interested in coming to India?

We are a start up that has found the funds but are looking for a credible technology partner to join us for a CSP project here.
Mridul Chadha

That would come into action when there isn’t enough sunlight to generate 100 MW. I doubt that there would be a scarcity of sunlight in Abu Dhabi. Even if the gas turbine comes online it would contribute only a small part of the total capacity. The gas turbine won’t work continuously. It is a backup.
Jacob

Can you really give it that title when the power generated includes a natural gas plant?