HYBRID SOLAR POWER PLANT: ASSESSMENT OF ITS ECONOMIC VIABILITY IN INDIAN CONTEXT

Sunil Bagade Mahesh Shelar Nagesh Patil Govind Kulkarni

INTRODUCTION
Renewable energy accounts for approximately 12% of a total of power generation capacity installed in India (Wind, biomass and solar photovoltaics dominate the share) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE, 2010) selected seven projects of total capacity 470 MW at different places in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh. Most of these places are desert areas in respective states, the areas with good solar insolation but with water constraints.

In this paper we explore the economic viability of hybrid solar parabolic trough based power plant The bidding process of NRDC where 50 MW capacity solar based projects where invited cost per kWh was quoted as 12 INR (NRDC report, 2012). This forms the basis of choosing 50 MW as the capacity for analysis in our

PROPOSED MODEL

Assumptions The efficiency of generator

The transmission efficiency from turbine to generator The Mechanical efficiency of turbine The Isentropic efficiency of turbine Effectiveness of condenser used for turbine The Inlet temperature of cooling water in the condenser in degree in C The Mechanical efficiency of the Pump used for cooling water circulation The Mechanical efficiency of feed pump for steam The Mechanical efficiency of feed pump for HTF The Efficiency of the boiler

97 97 90 85 0.56 0 70 70 70 80

Calorific Value of coal in kJ/kg-K

Concentrator Aperture (Width) in m Concentrator Aperture Length in m Concentration Ratio Specular Reflectivity of Concentrator Surface Glass cover Transmissivity for solar radiation Glass cover Emissivity or Absorptivity

22000
2.5 6 25 0.85 0.85 0.88

Absorber tube Emissivity or Absorptivity

Intercept Factor

0.95
0.95

An code was developed which calculates the coal consumption for solar-coal hybrid option and estimates the coal savings vis a vis coal fired power plant. For the chosen location, for a 50 MW hybrid plant, the annual coal savings is estimated to be about 136000 tonnes. Inspite of this, our analysis based on lifecycle analysis shows that the hybrid option is not competitive to coal as of now. However it could be competitive in the near future depending on the progress of PTC development and coal price hike.

Economics of coal based and hybrid power project considering coal price increase
Years Cost of coal
INR/Tonne
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3000

3300

3600

4000

4400

4850

5400

5900

6500

LCOE (Thermal) LCOE (Combined)

INR/kWh

6.28

6.71

7.13

7.70

8.27

8.90

9.68

10.39

11.24

INR/kWh

7.32

7.65

7.98

8.42

8.87

9.36

9.97

10.52

11.18

the

If coal prices rise by 10 % and cost of collector remains same, this period about to 9 years

Economics of coal based and hybrid power project considering PTC cost reduction
Years Cost of coal LCOE (Thermal) INR/Tonne 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000

INR/kWh

6.28 6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

6.28

LCOE (Combined)

INR/kWh

7.32 7.16

7.02

6.88

6.76

6.65

6.54

6.45

6.36

6.28

6.20

If coal prices remains the same, and cost of collector reduces by 8%, this period about to 11 years

Economics of coal based and hybrid power project considering coal price hike and PTC cost reduction
Years 1 2 3 4 5 6

Cost of coal

INR/Tonne

3000

3300

3600

4000

4400

4850

LCOE (Thermal)

INR/kWh

6.28

6.71

7.13

7.70

8.27

8.90

LCOE (Combined)

INR/kWh

7.32

7.49

7.68

7.99

8.31

8.69

per

Analysis reveals that hybrid plants become competitive within 6 years from now if the coal prices rise by 10% annum and cost of collectors reduce by 8% per annum.