Concentrated solar power CSP plants concentrate sunlight to produce steam, which is later converted to clean electricity. It is called clean electricity because it uses renewable resources such as sunlight, steam, and heat. A few major CSP plants worldwide are Mohammed bin Rashid AI Maktoum Solar Park, Noor Quarzazate Solar Power Complex, and Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, contributing to global renewable energy goals.  

Providing several environmental benefits, a CSP plant supports the mission of energy security for the future. Concentrated solar power technology reduces the reliance on imported fossil fuel, reducing the carbon emissions associated with it, leading to clean energy. The recently inaugurated 950 MW CSP-PV hybrid plant in Dubai is not only the largest single-site CSP plant in the world, but it also produces solar power at 7.30 cents per kWh, making it competitive with fossil fuel-based power generation.

The cost of building CSP plants has significantly decreased. The price dropped by more than half in just ten years, going from over $10,000 per kilowatt in 2010 to around $4,761 per kilowatt in 2020. Discover these projects in-depth and understand their contributions toward clean renewable energy.  

List of Top CSP Plants in the World (Based on Capacity)

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was built in 5 phases. The fifth phase was completed by 2023. This project's planned csp capacity was 5000 MW and was developed by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Other Major contractors and developers include Abu Dhabi Future Energy; Acwa Power; EDF Renewables; First Solar; Fotowatio Renewable Ventures; Grupo Gransolar; and TSK Solar. 

This solar energy generating system is developed in 5 different phases and the 6th phase is built with a capacity of 1800 MW to save 2.36 Million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. It is likely to be implemented in 2024 to 2026. This phase is expected for electricity production for up to 540,000 households at the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of USD 1.6215 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The project started in 2012 with an investment of AED 50 billion (USD 13.6 billion) from banks like Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, HSBC, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Standard Chartered Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Warba Bank. It is unique as the Largest single-site solar park in the world.

Also read: DEWA and Masdar Reach Financial Closing on the Sixth Phase of the Largest Single-Site Solar Park in the World

Escatrón-Chiprana-Samper Power Plant

The Escatrón-Chiprana-Samper Power Plant is one of the largest solar power plants in Spain. Located in the Aragon region it is widespread across 3,173 hectares covering three towns of Escatrón, Chiprana, and Samper de Calanda. This project is built with a capacity of 850 MW.

This project began its commercial operations in 2020, and was developed by the Ignis Group. Later, it was sold to ACS, a Spanish construction company. Later Portuguese oil company Galp Energía took over the project.

The Escatrón-Chiprana-Samper Power Plant has several solar panels with 50 MW each. Several proposals have been made to expand the plant to a capacity of 900 MW. 

Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Complex

Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Complex was built in multiple phases with a capacity of 580 MW by a consortium of ACWA Power and the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen), Aries, and TSK.

The first phase was officially commissioned in 2013. The NOOR II and NOOR III phases were commissioned later in 2018. The investment for Phase 1 is about Euro 500 Million (USD 537 Million). It was solely financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

The overall investment for Noor II and Noor III is expected to be around USD 2 Billion funded by Masen with funds secured from the AfDB, the Agence Française de Développement, the Clean Technology Fund, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau and the World Bank through 80% debt and 20% equity. 

Noor energy provides electricity to millions of households and saves about 533,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Complex is operated and maintained by a consortium of NOMAC, ACWA Power, and Masen.

Also Read: Fortescue Forms Joint Venture with OCP Group for Green Energy Projects in Morocco

Ivanpah Solar Power Facility

The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility located in California, USA is built with a capacity of 392 MW. Using Power Tower CSP Technology this concentrated solar power plant was commissioned in 2014. 

Source: NS Energy

The total construction cost is expected to be around USD 2.3 Billion (After Inflation). The major investors in this project are Federal Loan Guarantee funding USD 1.6 Billion, and the rest 30% through an investment tax credit.

Bright Source is the major developer and Bechtel Engineering built the Ivanpah Solar Power facility under EPC Contract (Engineering, procurement, and Construction). The electricity generation off-taker is Pacific Gas & Electric, which is Southern California Edison. The ground-breaking ceremony occurred in 2012. The power generated here is sold at USD 0.19/kwh of LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity).

Solana Generating Station CSP Project

The Solana Generating Station, located in Arizona, was built with a capacity of 250 MW by the Abener, Teyma, under the EPC contract. This project investment is provided by a Federal Loan Guarantee of about USD 1.45 Billion, and the rest is a 30% investment tax credit. The total project cost is estimated to be about USD 2.16 Billion. 

The Solana Generating Station uses the Parabolic Trough solar thermal energy to generate 250 MW of electricity for 300,000 households. The electricity off-taker for this project is the Arizona Public Service, which sells electricity at USD 0.2 at LCOE. 

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Genesis Solar Energy

The Genesis Project, located in the Blythe region in California, is built with a capacity of 250 MW. This project was developed by NextEra and Genesis Solar under an investment of USD 1.2 Billion. The major investor was Federal Loan by investing USD 852 Million, and the remaining 30% was Investment tax credit. 

The project was awarded to Blattner Energy under EPC Contract and began with its ground-breaking ceremony in 2010. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was awarded the PPA for 25 years at USD 0.19 under the LCOE. This project is expected to generate 580 GWH/year using the Parabolic Trough CSP plant technology. 

Crescent Dunes

The Crescent Dunes solar thermal power plant, located in Nevada, USA, has a production output capacity of 110 MW. It was built by Cobra Thermosolar Inc. and SolarReserve on an EPC contract basis. NV Energy purchased PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) for a period of 25 years. The LOCE offered was USD 135/mwh. 

Source: SolarPaces

This project was commissioned in 2015 and was built under a USD 737 Million loan from DOE(Department of Energy). The Crescent Dunes uses CSP Technology and molten salts for thermal storage. In 2016, this CSP plant project was offline for eight months due to molten salt leakage in thermal storage. In 2017, it began its commercial operations. In 2019, NV Energy terminated the contract due to low revenue issues, and ACS is now the new owner. 

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Conclusion

The CSP renewable projects across the globe continue to contribute to sustainability and security through various capacities and advanced technologies. Several other CSP projects are under construction and research that will further boost the development of CSP in the future. 

Countries across the globe are increasingly turning to CSP plants as a reliable source of clean energy, with their ability to harness concentrated sunlight into electricity efficiently. These projects leverage advanced concentrating solar power and pv systems, leading to power generation on a large scale using heat storage, contributing significantly to the overall renewable electricity. 

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