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Concentrated Solar Power plants (CSP) will play a major role in the MENA region

2016.04.19     From: solarserver

Using a combination of different renewable sources, an ecological and economical electricity mix can be realized across national borders. For this, a reliable supply, storage and distribution of renewable electricity are decisive.


In the Supergrid project, several Fraunhofer institutes joined together to research just how such an electricity and transmission grid between North Africa and Europe could function. The results of the Supergrid study are now available in a final report.


The researchers from five Fraunhofer institutes developed scenarios for a renewable energy system in the MENA region and compared potential technologies.


Using a model-based analysis, the research team first confirmed that renewable energy technologies have a large techno-economical potential in North Africa. Because of this, scenarios were developed that consider an ambitious expansion of renewable energy in the MENA region – with and without the perspective of energy exports to Europe.


As present political conditions hinder the expansion of renewable energy in this region, the scientists also prepared recommendations for new regulatory mechanisms and support schemes for renewable energy.

 

Solar and wind potentials in North Africa and Southern Europe were analyzed


Before modeling began, the status quo in North Africa and Southern Europe was taken: Existing electricity systems in Europe and North Africa were documented and the solar and wind potentials were analyzed using a geographical information system.


Next, the best cost combination of power plants was determined with consideration to site planning and power plant deployment. Finally, the existing transmission grid infrastructure was modeled and the extent of renewable electricity integration was investigated.


“The results of the study show that decarbonizing the electricity supply in Europe and North Africa is feasible in a cost-effective manner,” says Prof. Dr. Werner Platzer, project leader and division director at Fraunhofer ISE. “In each of the scenarios modelled, very high shares close to 100 percent renewable energy were achieved by 2050.”


Storage for Solar Thermal Power Plants


According to the researchers, concentrated solar thermal power plants (CSP) will play a major role in a renewable-based supply system in the MENA region. This dispatchable technology serves to complement the fluctuating generation from wind and photovoltaics.


In this respect, the development of high temperature storage for CSP power plants becomes very attractive. In developmental research, reducing costs by using less expensive storage materials, e. g. molten salt, and increasing system efficiency is just as important as improving the storage component design and optimizing the complete system.


Grids and Power Electronics


In each of the scenarios, a large growth of renewable energy goes hand in hand with an expanding direct current grid. One solution is to create a meshed overlay grid with high-voltage direct current lines (HVDC) that enable fluctuating power from renewable power plants to be transmitted over long distances. Such a grid can contribute significantly to the grid stability.


Power electronics will be a key technology in the expansion of the DC transmission grid. Therefore, the researchers in the Supergrid project developed detailed solutions so that the electronic components of the future can meet the new requirements in the medium-voltage range.


The Supergrid project was supported by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. The coordination was carried out by Fraunhofer ISE. Other project partners were Fraunhofer Institutes for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB, for Mechanics of Materials IWM, for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB and for Systems and Innovation Research ISI.


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