CSP Competition Heats Up As Fresnel Design Taps Higher Temperatures

Précis:

Frenell’s latest CSP plant design incorporates a higher-temperature molten salt system to provide overnight storage and a lower cost of energy in a move which could boost lagging Fresnel deployment.

Global installed Fresnel CSP capacity is currently around 177 MW, compared with 4.2 GW of parabolic trough capacity and 629 MW of CSP tower capacity, according to the CSP Today Global Tracker.

While Fresnel designs offer some cost advantages in manufacturing and installation, advancement of these systems was hindered by an inability to operate at temperatures high enough to provide energy storage.

Image:

Premium`:

Image Caption & notes

Image Caption:

Frenell eyes savings on manufacturing and installation costs. (Image credit: Frenell)