3.4.2 SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY

Under current market conditions, neither solar tower systems nor parabolic dishes can be characterised as sufficiently mature for the energy market today. Even solar farms, the most developed technology, have been applied in Europe only as prototypes.

Current commercial deployment is therefore zero within the EU, however it is important to consider future markets. The costs of solar thermal electricity depend to a high extent on the local level of direct solar radiation. Energy costs (for 100 MWe plants) of 0.09 €/kWh could be achieved with advanced power towers or solar farms at favourable sites. The lower limit for dish Stirling systems is about 0.10 €/kWh.

The logical next development steps for the various technologies are:

· Solar farms: realisation of a 100 MWe plant (at a cost of around 300M€), based on thermo-oil or direct steam generation, developed in Europe.
· European solar power towers based on air receivers might be considered ready for demonstration.
· Parabolic solar dishes can be demonstrated at lower costs.

It is highly likely that the first large-scale deployment will involve a hybrid system, combining a solar thermal heat supply with a conventional fossil fuel based generation system.