The objective of TENCENT is the finalisation of the technology demonstrated in the 50kW demo plant prior to commercialisation (i.e. technology enhancements and integration into a commercial Hybrid CSP Pilot Plant of 1.5MW). The CSP market has an increasing demand with the current 4.5 GW installed worldwide being forecasted by 2030 to turn into about 1000 GW. Emerging markets need a great supply of clean energy and the regions where the direct sun radiation is strong and skies clear enough (Southern Europe, US, Australia, China, India, MENA and South Africa).
CSP has several limitations to be a mainstream source of energy: 1.Limited supply of energy on demand (dispatchability); 2.Fluctuating Solar Energy Supply depending on the irradiation of the sun; 3.The existing Heat Transfer Fluids (HTF) (synthetic oil or molten salt) are expensive and inefficient, limited by the temperatures they can operate at; 4.Integration between the different parts of the power plants is complex (e.g. between the solar part and power part); 5.High cost storage per stored KWh and 6.A low Solar Power Factor. These limitations increase the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), making CSP uncompetitive. Traditionally CSP plants are big in size (>100MW) on account of decreasing EPC costs and become somehow profitable (with financial support to renewables from specific countries). TENCENT is the key technology for all-size of CSP plants starting from 10 MW allowing a 40-50% cost reduction per kWh produced as compared to current CSP technologies.
TENCENT is based on BE’s bCell™ technology, developed in the demo plant of 50kW. Its main subsystems have already been demonstrated, including the Energy Center (a multifunctional Heat Storage & Steam Generator). Each component of the bCell™ technology has been separately tested for its functionality, operation and performance. The site demonstrates the operation and the overall performance through a steady supply of steam in a maximum flexibility, using the central control system. According to our financial and engineering models based on real data from the existing demo plant, TENCENT makes possible the grid parity of CSP technologies achieving a price of 10 c€/kWh produced in plants over 10 MW and above. In view of the improvements in efficiency, dispatchability, hybridization, modularity and the reduction of O&M costs and initial investment, our technology can reach a market segment (below 20MW) that current CSP technologies are not competitive at.
