The Solana Generating Station is a solar power plant near Gila Bend, Arizona, about 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Phoenix. It was completed in 2013. When commissioned, it was the largest parabolic trough plant in the world, and the first U.S. solar plant with molten salt thermal energy storage.[3] Built by the Spanish company Abengoa Solar, the project can produce up to 280 megawatts (MW) gross, supplied by two 140 MW gross (125 MW net) steam turbine generators: enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 70,000 homes and obviate the emission of roughly 475,000 tons of CO2 every year.[4] Its name is the Spanish term for "sunny spot".[5]
Technology
The plant employs a proprietary concentrating solar power (CSP) trough technology developed by Abengoa, and covers an area of 1,920 acres (780 ha). Construction was expected to create about 1,500 construction jobs with the plant employing 85 full-time workers.[6][7] Solar thermal plants use substantially more water for cooling than other solar generating technologies. Nevertheless, the Sierra Club supported the Solana plant, because it was built on private land, and was projected to use "75 to 85 percent less water than the current agricultural use."[8]
Economics
Arizona Public Service (APS) has contracted to purchase 100% of the power output generated from Solana, to meet the Arizona Corporation Commission's (ACC) mandate that the state's regulated utilities provide 15% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. APS will pay about 14 cents per kWh.[9]
The Solana plant was originally planned to open in 2011 and was estimated to cost $2 billion.[10]
In December 2010, Abengoa received a $1.45 billion loan guarantee to support construction of the plant.[11]
Energy storage
Construction of the Salt Tanks
One of the principal advantages of concentrated solar thermal (CST) is that thermal energy storage can be provided efficiently,[12] so that output can be provided after the sun goes down, and output can be scheduled to meet demand requirements.[13] The Solana Generating Station is designed to provide six hours of energy storage. This allows the plant to generate about 38 percent of its rated capacity over the course of a year.[14]
Production
Solana Generating Station's production is as follows, averaging 742 GW·h annual, yielding about 390 MW·h/acre.[15]
Generation (MW·h) of Solana Generating Station [15]
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Total
2013
0
45,230
23,839
20,179
89,248
2014
29,945
31,825
49,358
50,325
75,221
78,231
59,276
52,191
63,406
62,693
33,735
17,361
603,567
2015
12,165
27,259
51,698
82,237
88,122
91,097
86,217
91,475
63,135
49,469
46,262
29,707
718,843
2016
33,173
37,399
51,744
57,353
88,255
88,994
84,981
42,855
51,387
50,595
35,073
21,861
643,670
2017
22,550
34,934
78,837
89,629
86,648
115,921
23,376
63,812
81,571
72,194
30,596
23,898
723,966
2018
33,078
38,661
48,242
68,419
106,877
106,604
87,204
87,032
90,027
54,029
41,303
14,537
776,013
2019
29,041
26,957
61,997
88,945
91,002
111,993
89,483
99,268
71,398
76,043
25,171
20,344
791,642
2020
36,881
48,874
54,253
86,121
93,620
87,416
87,894
80,561
69,190
64,892
36,296
29,706
775,704
2021
31,755
49,018
63,361
72,935
93,529
84,753
51,704
69,147
61,726
56,456
38,140
22,045
694,569
2022
27,276
33,320
60,001
77,812
90,752
86,385
65,401
72,113
68,446
67,573
24,905
21,661
695,645
2023
23,713
32,892
49,085
87,941
95,552
105,457
87,937
79,071
75,596
71,022
39,102
27,355
774,723
Total (2013-2023)
7,287,590
Maximum annual electricity production was projected at 900,000 MW·h (900 GW·h), as calculated using the project's and NREL specific capacity factors.[16]
In 2020, Solana Generating Station has averaged 82.4% of the projected production value.[15] Nearby photovoltaic power station Agua Caliente, covering a larger site area of 2400 acres, had a Loan Programs Office projected generation of only 559 GW·h (instead yielding an average real 727 GW·h production).
Operations issues
The plant opened in 2014 and has experienced some problems since its opening. In the summer of 2017, the plant had two transformer fires.[17]Maricopa County environmental officials questioned whether the plant violated air pollution standards, and in 2016, fined the plant $1.5 million for violations of air quality standards. According to the Phoenix New Times, "The plant’s parent company, a subsidiary of Abengoa called Atlantica Yield, downplayed the issues, and a company representative said that better times are likely ahead."[17]
According to government documents, the plant is expected to produce 900,000 MWh every year. This amount of electricity could power about 65,000 typical homes in Arizona. However, the plant produced only 600,000 MWh in its first full year of operation, according to information from the Federal Energy Information Administration. In 2015, the output increased to 700,000 MWh. In the summer of 2017, a microburst "knocked out the plant that July."[17] but notwithstanding that, generation reached 723,966 MWh.
A CSP thermal power block is like that of a coal or gas-fired plant, except its fuel is sunlight and require up to four years to ramp-up to 100% operating level.[18][19][20]
^"Solana". Loan Programs Office. www.energy.gov. U.S. Department of Energy. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019. Solana is expected to generate 900,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy per year
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