Thermal Energy Storage Options for Concentrated Solar Power Plants in the United Arab Emirates

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is the concept of using direct solar irradiation to heat a working fluid to generate electricity. A typical CSP plant comprises of solar concentrators, heat transfer fluid, and a power generation block. Rich in sunlight, the UAE has chosen CSP as key contributor to its renewable energy plan. The sunlight is intermittent in nature. Hence a thermal energy storage (TES) system needs to be incorporated to ensure steady and reliable power generation. TES system shall be sensible, latent, thermochemical, or their combinations. With the advent of nanotechnology, the nano-enhanced heat transfer fluids and nano-enhanced phase change materials (PCMs) have shown superior thermal properties than conventional fluids. Ongoing lab-scale research and computer-based simulation are focused on increasing the CSP plant efficiency and reliability, while decreasing the cost of electricity.