High-Temperature Solar Thermal Energy Storage

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This project aimed to develop an innovative energy storage system that uses concentrating solar thermal technology to drive a high-temperature redox (or reduction-oxidation) thermochemical cycle. A technically feasible approach to the construction of a new concentrated solar thermal power system concept that involves a novel high-temperature thermochemical energy storage system was developed. This storage system promises to store thermal energy at temperatures of over 1,000°C, enabling the use of a combined power cycle, which reach the highest thermal power cycle efficiencies of up to 60% or more. The storage system is based on the reduction/oxidation cycling of a new mixed iron-manganese oxide thermochemical energy storage material.A power system design concept was developed, including technical concepts for a two stage solar tower concentrating system, solar receiver-reactor for the thermal reduction step, oxidation reactor-heat exchanger for heat recovery, high-temperature particle storage tanks and material handling systems for particles and gases.A literature review was conducted to compile data for the performance and cost of combined cycle power blocks. From this, the Levelised Cost of generated Energy (LCOE) has been determined. Based on the current cost-optimised system design with a 75 MW-e net power block and thermal energy storage system with 18 hours full-load storage capacity, an LCOE estimate of 224 AUD/MWh results (including 30% tax). This estimate is ~8% higher than that for a current state- of-the-art system.

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