This chapter provides a perspective how a CSP-HVDC power plant could be implemented. The next possible steps are concretised and it is shown which breakthroughs are still to be achieved.
The perspective on a possible business case examines the example “MEFID Solar Link” as a representative bundled infrastructure for economic regions in Europe.
6.1 Potential business case MEFID Solar Link
Due to the mentioned system advantages of CSP-HVDC a real business case is possible if the CSP-HVDC power plant is a closed and manageable system. Until the first power can flow, a feasibility or pilot study is necessary to identify more details for an implementation.
6.1.1 Need of a feasibility study
The EU research project BETTER made clear that an international electricity infrastructure can be supported by the EU (e.g. project of common interest). Multilateral initiatives (producer, transmitter and offtaker) are the basis for a start. Countries and continents worldwide already use a concept of connecting power plants (often water power plants) with bigger cities via HVDC (ABB, 2017). Unfortunately, until today no CSP-HVDC initiative in EUMENA took place.
The next specific step towards an implementation of a CSP-HVDC power plant should be a feasibility study analysing geographical, technical and financial impact, as well as political
and framework assessment (BETTER, 2015). For this purpose the proposal is the picture of
the Four Motors for Europe and Morocco called “MEFID Solar Link” (Morocco, España,
France, Italia, Deutschland) as drafted in Figure 37. Each region of the Four Motors has a
separate CSP-HVDC power plant but a common bundled HVDC corridor. Geographical routes of each CSP-HVDC plant are illustrated in Figure 38. The advantages of these exemplary economic and progressive European regions are their demand and the experience with CSP in Morocco. A bundling of the point-to-point links and also a common use of the water infrastructure in Morocco are good reasons to start a common project. Morocco and the Four Motors can create with the use of sustainable water new living area in desert regions, agriculture and job possibilities. Renewable dispatchable energy can lead to a WIN-WIN for all participants involved (Hess, et al., 2014).
Figure 37: MEFID Solar Link – schematic bundling of common infrastructure
Other CSP-HVDC power plants can follow a successful implementation of such a pilot project. Regarding the rising energy demand of mega cities, communities worldwide might be a suitable offtaker of renewable dispatchable energy from distance to cover their energy needs. Now it can be EUMENA showing the world that it is still possible to cooperate and to build up trust in a multi-national and multi-cultural environment. The entrepreneurial risk of a CSP-HVDC power plant with its high investment (~15 bn € for 1.5GWnet) should not be underestimated. Thus, it would be an option to disperse the risk among many by simultaneously guarantying their energy provision. The call becomes loud for governmental initiatives like it used to be in the start phase of nuclear power plant implementation with direct subsidies. However, with the right framework made from legislative institutions (guarantees, power purchase agreement. etc. – no direct financial subsidies) it is conceivable that a mixture of investors from all parts of society can manage such a project in a participatory enterprise like in many present local initiatives for renewable energy.
Table 31 lists an approximation of the dimension and cost of CSP-HVDC for the example of the Four Motors for Europe. The analysis is based on the learning curve of CSP cost in the year 2025 and HVDC cost assumptions according to (Hess, 2013). To save expenses, a combination of CSP and PV inside a power plant is useful to cover the electrical demand of mirror tracking and pumps with about 13.5% PV of total capacity instead of using CSP solely. The water demand of the four CSP power plant parks is about 17Mm³/y for mirror cleaning, supplying workers and using a dry cooling. An additional demand of 20 Mm³/y is assumed for
according to (Moser, 2015) with an investment of 1800 €/(m³/d) and 148 GWh/y electrical demand. Cost of the collective water pipeline is assumed with 1300 €/m (1000€ per diameter and meter). The total investment cost of CSP-HVDC including the water infrastructure are between 9600 and 11330 €/kWnet. LCOE are about 12-13 €Cent/kWh using the calculation approach according to (Hess, 2013).
Table 31: Approximation of CSP-HVDC configuration and cost for a parabolic trough with HVDC underground cables for the Four Motors for Europe
Region Catalunya Rhône-Alpes Lombardia Baden-
Württemberg
Annual net electrical
demand in 2015
48 TWh/y 61 TWh/y 65 TWh/y 75 TWh/y
(Instituto Catalán de Energía, 2016) (RTE, 2016) (TERNA, 2016) (Statistisches Landesamt, 2017) CSP-HVDC net capacity and annual power 1.50 GW 10.6 TWh/y 1.50 GW 10.6 TWh/y 1.50 GW 10.6 TWh/y 1.50 GW 10.6 TWh/y CSP and PV power plant gross capacity in Morocco and investment 1.93 GW CSP 0.26 GW PV 1.97 GW CSP 0.26 GW PV 1.98 GW CSP 0.26 GW PV 2.00 GW CSP 0.27 GW PV 10.85 bn € 11.08 bn € 11.16 bn € 11.28 bn € Point-to-point line length and investment 1440 km 2150 km 2440 km 2670 km 3.3bn € 4.7bn € 5.3bn € 5.7bn € Collective water infrastructure and investment
37Mm³/y (105m³/day); 600 km pipelines in Morocco ~1.0bn € (water price of ~1.80 €/m³ incl. capital and O&M cost)
Total investment
14.4 bn € 16.1 bn € 16.7 bn € 17.0 bn €
9600 €/kWnet 10730 €/kWnet 11130 €/kWnet 11330 €/kWnet
LCOE 12 €Cent/kWh 12 €Cent/kWh 13 €Cent/kWh 13 €Cent/kWh
Total investment can still drop with a decreasing learning curve of CSP if this technology is further implemented. LCOE strongly depend on interest and discount rate and amortization time. Interest can be reduced by guarantees.
Figure 38: Picture of potential CSP-HVDC power plants for the Four Motors for Europe. In (a) for Catalunya, in (b) for Rhône-Alpes, in (c) for Lombardia and in (d) for Baden-Württemberg. In (e) the water pipeline infrastructure in Morocco reveals the use of water to supply the area around the CSP power plants for agricultural use, new living area and CSP itself with a small share.
a b
c d