TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS IN INDIA

Abstract

Energy plays all important role in the progress of any developing country. Developing countries which require a large quantity of energy to Fulfil their increasing demand and having limited resources of fossil fuel Need the use of renewable energy. Renewable energy sources and technologies have potential to provide solutions to the longstanding energy problems being faced by the developing countries like India. Fortunately India has flushed of clean and green energy. Solar energy can be all important part of lndias plan not only to add new Capacity but also to increase energy security, address environmental concerns. and lead the massive market for renewable energy. Solar thermal electricity (ST F) also known as concentrating solar power (CSP) are emerging rene able energy technologies and can be developed as future potential option for electricity generation in India. There are mainly two ways to harness the solar energy i.e. solar thermal and solar photovoltaic system. In which CSP plants are the future technology (or electricity generation in India. CSP plants produce electricity in much the same ay as conventional power stations. • CSP to generate bulk electricity is one of the technologies best suited to helping to mitigate - climate change in all affordable way, as well as reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and its produce electric power by converting the sun's energy into high temperature heat using various mirror or lens configurations. Under the present study. three different technologies used in CSP are considered for 55 different locations in order to find out the effect of various parameters like labor cost, land cost, collector cost, heat transfer fluid (i-ITF) cost and Tariff etc. on levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) or unit cost of electricity generation. A techno-economic analysis has been carried out by considering 50 M\V capacity of solar thermal power plant (STPP). The effect of various parameters has been calculated by using system advisory model (SAM) of national renewable energy laboratory (NREL). And make allindex table for the all 56 locations, this ranking index table is useful for selecting right choice of CSP technology for any particular location. After analysis it is concluded that out of 56 locations 36 locations are found to be best for LFR, 19 locations are found to be best for PTC and rest are found to be best for SPT. And out of all selected 56 locations Trivandrum is found to be best locations for CSP plants in India.