On Wednesday, October 16th, key representatives from DESOLINATION project partners Aalborg CSP, Hammam Soliman, and Miguel Herrador Moreno visited the DESOLINATION demonstration site located at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tour was hosted by our project partners, Dr. Hany Al-Ansary and Zeyad Almutairi from KSU.
The DESOLINATION project aims to showcase groundbreaking technologies that combine solar energy with innovative desalination systems. A focal point of this visit was the existing 200kW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant at King Saud University, which employs an air Brayton cycle solar power tower. This facility plays a critical role in the project by recovering heat from solar energy that would otherwise be lost, using it to drive state-of-the-art desalination systems. This approach efficiently couples energy production with water desalination, addressing two vital needs simultaneously—sustainable power generation and fresh water supply.
The site is set to undergo further development in the second phase of the project, which will see the installation of a 2MWe power cycle using CO2 blends. Like the Brayton cycle plant, this advanced system will also be linked to the innovative desalination process, further demonstrating the potential of solar-driven solutions to maximize energy efficiency and water production.
This collaborative effort highlights the ongoing commitment of the DESOLINATION partners to revolutionizing the integration of renewable energy with sustainable desalination, marking significant progress toward a cleaner and more water-secure future.
What is a
Concentrated Solar Power Plant?
A Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant is a type of renewable energy facility that uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a small area, typically a receiver, to generate high amounts of heat. This thermal energy is then used to produce electricity, often by powering a steam turbine or a heat engine. CSP plants differ from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which directly convert sunlight into electricity.
Key Components of a CSP Plant:
- Concentrators: Mirrors or lenses focus sunlight onto a receiver. Different CSP technologies use different types of concentrators:
2. Receiver: The concentrated sunlight heats a fluid, usually oil, molten salt, or air, which then transfers the heat to a steam generator.
3. Power Cycle: The heat from the receiver is used to produce steam, which drives a turbine connected to a generator, producing electricity. CSP plants often use traditional Rankine cycles, and advanced systems can use Brayton or CO2 power cycles.
4. Thermal Storage: One major advantage of CSP plants is their ability to store heat in materials like molten salt, allowing them to generate electricity even after sunset.
Applications
CSP plants are particularly suited to regions with high direct sunlight, such as deserts or sunny climates. They are increasingly being integrated with systems like desalination and thermal storage, improving their efficiency and extending their use beyond electricity production.
