A new hybrid power plant to be built in Hawaii will combine solar thermal technology for harnessing the sun’s heat with a power-generating turbine designed for geothermal applications.
Solar thermal company Albiasa Corporation (Albiasa) announced a letter of intent for the project with utility Pacific Light & Power (PLP).
Traditionally, solar thermal plants focus the heat of the sun to create steam which then drives a turbine to produce power. These power plants are generally designed for dozens or even hundreds of megawatts in capacity, which allows them to operate more efficiently.
However, using geothermal turbine technology thta is designed to squeeze extra energy out of lower-heat liquids, engineers think they can make equally efficient solar thermal plants at smaller scales.
The Kauai 1 project in Hawaii will be only 10 megawatts (MW) in size, and Albiasa will supply equipment for solar collection and thermal energy storage.
Albiasa and PLP are working with Ram Power, Inc. (RPI) to incorporate the company’s geothermal technology, which combines traditional steam turbine equipment with an organic rankine cycle to extend power production and enhance part-load performance.
Situated on 100 acres of dormant farm land between the towns of Kekaha and Waimea on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, PLP Kauai 1 will be the first utility scale renewable power generation facility in Kauai and the largest solar project in Hawaii. PLP is currently negotiating a long term power purchase agreement with Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC).
Construction of the project is scheduled to begin late this year and could be completed as early as the end of 2011. PLP Kauai 1 will include up to three hours of heat transfer fluid storage with the flexibility to shift power generation during the day.
"This project shows that we can replicate smaller solar farms and
projects across the U.S. and further the growing adoption of renewable
energy," said Jesse Tippett, managing director of Albiasa Corporation.
Loading...