Solar-coal hybrid power plants

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://my.epri.com/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_237_317_205_776_43/http%3B/uspalecp604%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/epri_to_evaluate_adding_solar_thermal_energy_to_coal_plants_da_625473.html

Contacts: Clay C. Perry
202-293-6184
[e-mail]

Heather Lynch-Hansen
650-855-2017
[e-mail]

EPRI TO EVALUATE ADDING SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY TO COAL PLANTS

Two Solar Augmentation Projects Target Natural Gas and Coal Generation

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Jan. 29, 2009 - The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) announced today that it has launched the second of two projects to help electric power companies add solar energy to fossil-fueled electric power plants, reducing fuel costs and plant emissions. Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, Inc., Progress Energy and Southern Company are participating in the project. The case study analyses will be performed by WorleyParsons Group, Inc.

Both this project, and a parallel study launched in October, 2008 at natural gas-fueled facilities, involve adding steam generated by a solar thermal field to a conventional fossil fuel-powered steam cycle to offset some of the fuel required to generate electric power. As part of the coal project, case studies will be conducted at Tri-State’s 245-megawatt (MW) Escalante Generating Station in Prewitt, NM and at Progress Energy’s 742-MW Mayo Plant in Roxboro, NC.

“These projects will demonstrate a near-term and cost-effective way to use large amounts of solar energy at commercial scale to provide clean electric power,” said Dr. Bryan Hannegan, vice president of Generation and Environment at EPRI. “These ‘hybrid power plants’ will combine the low-cost reliability of existing fossil power plants with the environmental benefit of renewables, and help companies meet federal and state mandates to reduce their emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases with renewable energy.”

The projects will provide a conceptual design study and two detailed case studies. Design options to retrofit existing plants will be analyzed and new plant design options will be identified. EPRI will rely on its expertise in solar technologies, steam cycles, and plant operation, as well as past solar and fossil plant studies. EPRI holds two patents in solar steam cycle optimization.

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[Ian David]

1. No. n/t

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. (Care to elaborate?)

Shakespeare said that “brevity is the soul of wit” but I think this may be taking things to extremes.

[Ian David]

3. Eh. n/t

[Fledermaus]

4. Yes!

Not a bad idea. I would like to see how it works out. Many coal plants europe already use 5 to 10 % biomass. Adding solar would reduce coal consumption even more.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Seemed like a worthwhile experiment to me

In theory, if it works well, over time, the amount of solar generation could be increased, and the coal generation decreased.

[NNadir]

7. I'm sure.

[NNadir]

6. There are ZERO "renewables who will save us" advocates who CAN avoid

dangerous fossil fuel apologetics.

Zero.

It's been consistent here continuously over the last 7 years.

The same people making these endless dangerous fossil fuel apologetics cannot find even ONE person injured by nuclear energy in this country, waste, accidents or otherwise.

We hear EVERY excuse for dangerous fossil fuels from these people, from their compressed air/gas/wind bullshit, to their Tesla electric cars, and now, (why am I not surprised?) solar coal.

The real problem is that solar is now, just as it has been through 50 years of hype - 7 years here in my experience - a yuppie toy that is useless in the fight against climate change in real terms and damaging and dangerous in the sense that it creates a sense of oblivious and unjustified consumer yuppie denial.

On the other hand they couldn't care less about the millions of people who die each year from dangerous fossil fuel (and biofuel) waste in the form of air pollution.

http://www.who.int/entity/quantifying_ehimpacts/countryprofilesebd.xls

The entire "renewables will save us" clique here consists of people continuously handing out straight lines.