Outlook Bright for Molten Salt Thermal Energy Storage as Concentrated Solar Power Grows

August 11th, 2011 by Andrew

Photo Credit: Tom Raftery/Flickr

Construction of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants will drive global demand for molten salt thermal energy storage (TES) sales in 2010, driven by demand associated with construction and project planning of CSP plants, upon which they are completely dependent, according to SBI.

NaS batteries have been the largest HTS market since they were introduced in 2003, SBI notes. Utilities such as RUBENIUS in Mexico and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electric Authority are building NaS battery energy storage systems in the hundreds of megawatts, but lack of basic R&D investment will result in increasing use of lithium-ion batteries by utilities at the expense of NaS energy storage systems, SBI forecasts.

A marked increase in CSP plants, meanwhile, will drive demand for molten salt thermal energy storage systems. “Fortunately for this category, the legislation and regulation landscape for both renewable energy sources and grid energy storage is very favorable,” according to SBI.

SBI forecasts that the US will surpass Spain as the largest market for TES systems by 2013. By 2015, more MWh (megawatt-hours) of energy of TES will be installed in the US than in Spain. Helped by a feed-in tariff, Spain has become the world leader in CSP with more than 580 MWac (alternating current) in operation.

With 41 CSP projects in the pipeline as of year-end 2010, the US looks poised to overtake Spain, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Three CSP plants totaling 77.5 MWac came online in the US in 2010: the 1.5 MWac Tessera/Stirling Maricopa Dish-Engine project in Arizona, the 1 MWac Abengoa Solar Cameo Hybrid plant in Colorado, and Florida Power & Light’s 75 MWac Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. The Dept. of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management approved eight major solar projects last year, six of which were CSP projects, according to SEIA.

CSP projects in both Spain and the US will continue to drive growth in molten salt TES out to 2020, while other countries, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, will also begin to contribute significantly, SBI says.

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Tags: Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, high temperature energy storage, molten salt, NaS batteries

About the Author

Andrew I've been reporting and writing on a wide range of topics at the nexus of economics, technology, ecology/environment and society for some five years now. Whether in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa or the Middle East, issues related to these broad topical areas pose tremendous opportunities, as well as challenges, and define the quality of our lives, as well as our relationship to the natural environment.

http://www.facebook.com/cees.timmerman Cees Timmerman

Lithium–sulfur batteries may succeed lithium-ion cells because of their higher energy density and the low cost of sulfur.
Darwish

Do you think careers in csp storage will be indemand soon since all the solar job postings you see Are mostly pv and different aspects of csp .
- Anonymous
  
  hmm, i’m not sure. i think this industry has promise, and you can expect job growth, but it’s hard to know for sure which ones will grow the most and create the most jobs
Anumakonda Jagadeesh

In Renewable Energy ,Storage is very crucial. As CSP is advancing,Molten Salt Thermal Energy Storage assumes great importance.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
Wind Energy Expert
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/JourneyHomeBook Paul Burke

Right now what we are experiencing is the status quo dragging their feet because they are making oodles of money – having cornered the gasoline only for our cars market – a pure monopoly if ever there was one – and they are still making money “burning” (oil, coal, uranium) to turn turbines to create electricity. But capital hill being held hostage by the dirty energy sector can’t stop the future – bravo and keep up the good work – the future is going to look way different – a healthy environment = a healthy economy.