BIG SUN WORKS OFF GRID, TOO

Growing demand for off-grid CSP
Oliver Wagg, 30 April 2010 (CSP Today)

"…Remote processing for mining and extractive industries presents significant market potential for concentrated solar power (CSP) development.

"With energy needs representing up to two-thirds of total project cost and oil prices likely to rise in the foreseeable future, miners and mineral processors are now looking to bypass the vagaries of the markets by opting for off-grid renewable energy."

The Australian outback has both the sun and the mining to test the concept. (click to enlarge)

"Unless an electricity grid network is well established, inexpensive power is simply unavailable where needed by mining and minerals processing operators in mineral-rich countries…[so] many remote operations rely on diesel or LPG as their primary fuel source… Dr Jim Smitham, head of low emissions electricity research at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) [says CSP is a better option]…

"Lycopodium Minerals has been assessing the spectrum of power requirements from 10 kW up to 100 MW for individual dwelling to remote communities through to large remote mine sites in Aus the likely rising cost of oil and falling capital cost of solar thermal…Most major miners operating in Australia have set their sites on alternative renewable power sources such as CSP. But despite convincing economic arguments, remote solar thermal generator installations have yet to get off the drawing board…[T]he economies of scale that make them viable are often missing…"

Artist's rendering of a proposed Florida hybrid natural gas-solar power plant. (click to enlarge)

"…[T]he general concept for remote locations is to supplement diesel-fired generators that provide base load power with some form of solar thermal collector that is cheaper to heat the boiler during daytime hours than using diesel…As such, CSP combined with conventional fuel sources, is currently the most viable option. This involves hybrid systems, where the sun is used during the day, backed up with some storage capacity, with gas and/or diesel powered generators kicking in when needed…

"When it comes to powering remote processing facilities, PV and wind power are considered less reliable and less versatile than concentrated solar power…[because] mining and mineral processing facilities are often located inland where the wind is not so strong…Although the roll out of CSP projects is likely to be sluggish, energy price escalation and stability of power generation will be the key driver to uptake of CSP technology…[but] rapid climate change threatens to pose a dilemma for CSP [because more storms could diminish its reliability]…"