Techno-economic Analysis of a Hybrid Particle CSP-PV Plant including Cogeneration

This study aimed at evaluating the economic performance of electricity and heat production from a concentrated solar power system hybridized with PV, working with particles, and using a thermodynamic cycle base on the Brayton one having supercritical CO2. The heat is produced at around 400 ÷ 450 °C and it is intended for industrial application. The study has been divided into two steps, the first one has been the evaluation of feasibility without the cogeneration, and the second step has been the implementation of the cogeneration and finding for which thermal load the heat production can be cost-competitive. The analysis of the performance of the systems has been made using MoSES (Modelling of Solar Energy Systems), a new Python-based tool developed in KTH. The techno-economic has been done considering a quasi-steady-state model coupled with an economical model. The leading parameter for the optimization of both systems has been the LCOE, to make the technology economically attractive to the market the system should be able to cover almost 100 % of the thermal load to make the system able to supply heat reliably. In this analysis has emerged that the systems can cover a high percentage of the electric load with an LCOE of 90 €/MWh, in the case of downsizing of the power block the LCOE is 82 €/MWh but with a small penalization on the load coverage. The plant presents an LCOE lower than 90 €/MWh at a power size of 50 MWe, which is relatively a small size for a power plan. In case of the cogeneration, the LCOE is 95 €/MWh with a lower electrical load coverage but the system is able to produce heat at the same LCOH from natural gas and in a reliable way. The analysis has shown that the LCOE and the overall performance of the system indicate that its role in the grid could be the covering the slow and predictable fluctuation of the electric demand, it can also produce heat at the same price as natural gas. With the technological progress and the urging need for the reduction of emissions, these technologies will get more and more market traction.