Précis:California believes its land mitigation measures represent best environmental best practice for CSP. Not all environmentalists are convinced, however.By Jason Deign
It is a safe bet nobody has ever shelled out so much on a tortoise.
Last month Solar Partners, owners of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS), paid USD$6.2 million for land purchased to mitigate the impact of the ISEGS solar project, which covers nearly 7,000 acres of desert tortoise habitat and 175 acres of state waters.
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Land mitigation: what is best for the beasties?
Ain Beni Mathar
Taqa CSP Project
Kuwait’s solar journey comes to light
Précis:Until recently, Kuwait’s solar power ambitions mainly revolved around studies and plans. But the oil-dependent country has picked up pace and is now proceeding with three CSP projects.Despite being the third-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Kuwait’s long-standing dependency on fossil fuels is expected to backfire by as early as 2017. The International Monetary Fund predicted in April that in about four years from now, oil revenues will no longer outweigh Kuwait’s spending, possibly causing the first deficit since 1998.
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The design challenges of stop-start turbines for the CSP industry
Précis:One of the greatest challenges for CSP turbines is that, unlike turbines in the traditional thermal energy industry, they must be able to power up and down daily. What does this mean for the functioning and efficiency of a CSP plant? And what turbine-related technology advances can we expect to see?The oldest CSP turbines in operation, used to generate power in the longest-running CSP plant today – California’s SEGS plant built in the 1980s – are those supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
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The design challenges of stop-start turbines for the CSP industry
Acquasol 1 Desalination Project
CSP Cost Reduction – The Role of Government and Research Organisations
Précis:Cost reduction remains one of the biggest objectives of CSP developers around the globe. In facing up to this challenge, governments and research organisations could potentially play an increasingly important role.Cost Reduction
According to Mark Mehos, Principal Program Manager – Concentrating Solar Power Research at the U.S. based National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), there is 'no doubt' that the CSP industry needs to face up to the challenge of cost reduction. However, following lengthy discussions with a wide range of representatives of the U.S. CSP industry, he is confident that 'good progress' is being made.Image:
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CSP Cost Reduction – The Role of Government and Research Organisations
CSP & Mining: Identification of potential sites for CSP development
Précis:With a scope of more than 100 countries around the world, the mining industry offers a potentially lucrative opportunity for CSP.As not all mining sites offer adequate solar conditions or proper regulatory frameworks for the support of CSP projects, CSP Today investigates which places around the globe are the most suitable for a CSP and mining match. To do so we answer questions such as which mineral rich countries have the best DNI conditions? And which DNI sufficient mining countries have suitable government incentives?
Mining activities around the world
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CSP & Mining: Identification of potential sites for CSP development
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