Hybrid Gas Turbine Solar Thermal Combined Cycle Power Plants for Distributed Power Applications
(Room Garuda 7A, 1st Floor)
20 Sep 18
9:30 AM
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11:00 AM
Tracks:
TRACK G - Renewable Energy Strategy & Technology
Renewable energy has a significant role to play in helping the world achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction necessary to achieve the pathway to a 2°C increase in global temperature. Electricity generation from wind and solar resources can contribute immensely to the decarbonisation of power generation, but these resources are intermittent. High penetration of intermittent renewable power generation can cause grid stability and control issues for network operators, with fast response fossil fuel power plant (PP) necessary to provide security of supply and maintain grid stability. Increasingly natural gas-fuelled distributed power generation is being installed to provide the necessary grid support. However, hybrid PPs comprised of a fossil fuel power generating system, a renewable power generation system and energy storage can provide both the low CO2 electricity required to meet environmental constraints, and the despatchability and stability required by grid operators. Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plants (ISCCs), comprising a Concentrated Solar Power Plant and a natural gas fired combined cycle plant, have the potential to simultaneously reduce fossil fuel consumption, provide secure, highly predictable electricity generation, enhance grid stability, and reduce the cost of integrating renewable energy into a power system. While a number of ISCCs have been built at a larger scale, the concept has rarely been adopted for smaller scale distributed power applications. The traditional ISCC concept uses a steam bottoming cycle, which consumes water, and often locations where distributed ISCC could be utilised suffer from a scarcity of fresh water. This paper discusses combining small industrial and aero-derivative gas turbines with solar thermal and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for a water-free low carbon hybrid power generation system, and how high efficiency thermal storage can also be integrated into the system to enhance plant operational capabilities.