SP capacity is not increasing fast enough
C
compared to expected development
CSP installed capacity was just 2.8 GW at the end of 2012,
even though the first commercial plant started operating in
1986 and despite a wave of construction in Spain during the
mid-2000s and in the US and North Africa as part of EOR programs.
Plans for several CSP projects have been cancelled because of the economic crisis or
converted to solar photovoltaic, a technology that benefits from reductions in the Solar
Photovoltaic module price. CSP capacity is nonetheless expected to reach almost 11 GW
by 2017, with the US, India, China and Middle East & North Africa (MENA) countries overtaking
Spain as market leaders.
In the long run, the International Energy
Agency (IEA) estimates that CSP would need to
meet 8%-10% of global electricity demand by 2050
CSP is likely to benefit from large cost reductions
CSP is a capital-intensive technology. Initial investment, dominated
by solar field equipment and labor, ranges from 2,500 to 10,200
USD per kW - mainly depending on capacity factor and storage size
and accounts on average for 84% of the electricity generation costs
of CSP.
Economies of scale, declines in component costs due to mass
production and improvements in materials, higher process and
technology efficiency are expected to result in a fall in the cost of
electricity from CSP of up to 55% within the next two decades.
Widespread deployment is now essential if the industry is to benefit
from the learning curve and create a virtuous circle.
3 |
slb.com
84%
Electricity
generation costs
of CSP.