Performance of Remote Solar Thermal Power Plants

Solar power options have been developed to produce electricity for remote communities and mineral processing plants throughout Australia for an ongoing cost of just cents per kWh. Major advantages of solar energy are that the ongoing operating cost is extremely low and linked essentially to the cost of local unskilled labour. Power requirements range from 500 kW to 250 MW. Remote facilities often depend on diesel for their power requirements. Concentrated solar power can be strategically applied to decouple the cost of power from the cost of oil thereby reducing the project's or community's exposure to oil's highly volatile price. For communities and operations located more than a couple hundred kilometres away from a grid or natural gas pipeline, solar power may prove to be the financially prudent choice. The solar thermal power solutions for remote Australian sites are presented with respect to their performance and cost. This paper explains the methodology used to select the solar technology and its application to remote communities and processing facilities. Preliminary capital and operating costs, based on site specific reference conditions, are presented and used to determine a levelised cost of electricity and ultimately an equivalent price of diesel fuel for a breakeven point for concentrated solar power.