POTENTIAL OF CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER (CSP) FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN THE SOUTH OF PORTUGAL

Global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels suggest the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in the production of electricity worldwide, as well as to intensify the study and application of sustainable renewable energy technologies. Solar energy is very promising due to: (i) its enormous energy potential; (ii) its clean nature; (iii) the fact that it is available and abundant in large areas of the planet. Therefore, projections for solar electricity generation are very good, considering that the systems' performances are improving sharply, while prices go down. In this paper, the potential of concentrated solar power (CSP) for electricity generation in Portugal is evaluated. After analysing solar radiation data for Portugal mainland and the Portuguese national electricity grid, it is shown that one of the most favourable locations for the installation of a CSP plant is the region of Tavira, in the south of Portugal. Subsequently, the simulation of a 20MW parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) plant is performed and the obtained results are discussed. Results prove that Portugal has adequate solar resources to implement CSP despite the intra annual variability. Finally, it is shown that a CSP energy project may be economically competitive in Portugal, with the advantage of creating jobs and increasing research and industry in this field.