A 50 MW concentrating solar power plant for Jordan

Mohammed S. Al-Soud, Eyad S. Hrayshat

*
Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tala Technical University, P.O. Box 66, Tala 66110, Jordan
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 4 October 2007
Received in revised form
11 October 2008
Accepted 3 November 2008
Available online 16 December 2008
Keywords:
Concentrating solar power plant
Electricity generation
Feasibility analysis
Jordan
a b s t r a c t
The potential of concentrating solar power plant (CSPP) technology in Jordan is assessed and the next
steps for development of the rst CSPP in the country are presented. For this purpose, a prototype of
a 50 MW CSPP for electricity generation in Jordan is proposed and analysis of its economic feasibility has
been performed. Moreover, a calculation model using the concept design of the proposed CSPP, and the
solar irradiation data was developed to estimate the energy yield of the plant. Based on the analyzed
solar irradiation data, it was found that Jordan has an outstanding potential for CSPP, especially in the
southern locations of the country such as Quweira. At the same time Jordans energy master plan is
seeking for independent energy supply and for an increasing share of renewable energies. Furthermore,
Jordans demand curve over a day closely matches the electricity production of the proposed plant.
Combination of these factors creates a very favorable situation. Therefore, establishment of the proposed
50 MW CSPP is highly recommended not only in Jordan, but also in many other countries, which have
similar political and economical conditions such as those countries located in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Unlike other countries of the Middle East, Jordan is a non-oil
producing country. Its domestic recoverable energy resources are
limited and dont satisfy the demands of increasing population and
economic growth. Thus, the country at present relies and will
continue to do so in the near future almost solely on the
combustion of imported fossil fuels in order to satisfy its national
energy demand [1].
Nearly all the generated electricity in Jordan is produced from
power plants that use fossil fuels. The most popular fuels are heavy
fuel oil and diesel fuels. However, this option is not very attractive
since Jordans spending on petroleumis more than 50% of its export
earnings [2]. Therefore, switching to renewable energy (RE) sources
for electricity generation is of a vital importance since it serves as
an optimal solution for energy and environmental issues [3].
The Jordanian experience with electricity generation using RE
technologies has focused on small and experimental plants [46].
Electricity harnessed via RE sources accounted only for less than 2%
of the total electricity generated in 2005 [7,8]. Thus, the dominant
role of steamturbines and diesel fuel-red gas turbines is leading to
increased dependence on imported oil [9]. According to Jordans
Energy Master Plan [10], the share of RE must be increased. The aim
is to reach a 3% share of Jordans primary energy consumption by
the year 2015. To achieve this goal an investment of 450 million US$
will be placed by the Jordanian Government represented by the
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR). With an annual
growth rate of 4%, an electricity consumption of about 18 TWh is
projected for 2015.
Many Jordanian authors considered different RE options for
electricity generation using various methodologies. Mamlook et al.
[11] utilized neuro-fuzzy programming to perform an evaluation of
electric power generation options for Jordan using nuclear, solar,
wind, and hydro-power systems in addition to fossil fuel power
plants. Based on cost-to-benet ratios, results show that solar
energy is considered to be the best system for electric power
generation. Akash et al. [12] used analytical hierarchy process to
performa comparison between different electric power production
options in Jordan. The systems which were considered in addition
to fossil fuel power plants were nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro-
power. Results show that solar electric power plants have the
potential to be the best systems for electricity production in Jordan.
This research carried out by the Jordanian Government in
cooperation with Lahmeyer International focuses on the potential
of CSPP technology in Jordan and shows the next steps for the
development of the rst CSPP in the country. For this purpose,
analysis of the direct solar irradiation over Jordan was performed
employing satellite-based solar irradiation data in order to
identify the Jordanian sites which are best situated for efcient
electricity generation using concentrated solar energy, and
a prototype of a 50 MWCSPP is proposed for electricity generation.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 962 777499430; fax: 962 32250431.
E-mail address: ehrayshat@yahoo.com (E.S. Hrayshat).
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Journal of Cleaner Production
j ournal homepage: www. el sevi er. com/ l ocat e/ j cl epro
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doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2008.11.002
Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635
Analysis of energy yield and economic feasibility of the plant have
been also performed.
2. Potential of CSPP
Contrary to its sister technology photovoltaics (PV), CSPP can
operate at peak efciency using only the direct solar irradiance
concentrated by concentrating solar collectors, such as parabolic
troughs and central receivers, whereas PV technology can use both
direct and diffuse irradiances. Therefore, full exploitation of the
CSPP is limited to those geographical regions where the annual
direct irradiation levels are high; the so-called Sun-belt area which
includes: the MENA region (where Jordan is located), Southern
Europe, Mexico and southwest USA, parts of India and Pakistan,
South Africa, Australia, parts of Brazil and Chile [13].
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), concen-
trated solar thermal technology certainly has rich potential. It is
destined to move from being a relatively modest renewable energy
source to a signicant contributor in 2040, alongside current
market leaders like hydro and wind power. Todays total installed
capacity of 355 MW will have exceeded 6400 MW by 2015, that is
18 times todays capacity. By 2025, the annual installation rate will
be 4600 MW/year. By 2025, total installed capacity around the
world will have reached the impressive gure of 36,850 MW [14].
Equally impressive are the scenarios for electricity output from
CSPP. Assuming that the rst installations will operate for 2500 h
per year and that later installations have internal storage systems to
increase this to 3500 h per year by 2025, and to 5000 h per year by
2040, solar thermal power will be growing at a pace that already
achieves an annual output of more than 95 TWh in 2025 and over
16,000 TWh by 2040. That would represent as much as 5% of global
demand. More than 362 million tonnes of CO
2
emissions would be
avoided each year in 2025 [15].
Against todays backdrop of increasingly serious energy-security
and climate change challenges, these projections are ample justi-
cation for a yet more vigorous effort to give CSPP its rightful place
in the energy mix. The IEAs Solar PACES program is well placed in
the mainstreamCSPP community to provide leadership in pursuing
that goal.
For Jordans case taking in account that Jordan is a non-oil
producing country the chances of CSPP success are high, due to
the high values of direct solar irradiation and due to the high
current oil prices. Based on these two facts, it is expected that prices
of electricity produced by the CSPP will be competitive with the
electricity, produced by means of traditional power plants oper-
ating on conventional fuel.
3. Overview of the international CSPP projects
Solar thermal power plants have a long standing history.
Already in 1890 a steam engine has been powered by a solar
concentrating collector. In 1912, the rst solar thermal power plant
with parabolic trough collectors became operative in Egypt. The
capacity of this facility was 500 kW. The technology of combining
a steam engine or a steam turbine with solar heat is plausible and
simple.
However, the availability of cheapfuel during the 20thcentury led
to a decline of interest insolar drivenpower plants. Only the so-called
oil crisis in the 1970s, caused a renaissance of solar technology. In
several countries, researchinthe eldof solar energy was nancedby
the governments. Solar thermal power plants in pilot-plant-scale
(most of them around 1 MWel) have been built in the USA, Spain,
France, Italy and Russia. The leading countries in research in this eld
have been the USA, Spain and Germany. So far, three types of CSPP
have reacheda mature status: (i) parabolic troughsolar power plants;
(ii) solar tower plants; and (iii) dish-stirling systems. Whereas only
the parabolic trough type plants have entered into commercial
operation so far.
Following is a summary of noteworthy solar thermal electric
projects and related activities in the globe.
3.1. The solar electric generation system plants in California
The only commercially operated plants can be found in Cal-
ifornia, USA. They use the technology of parabolic trough collectors.
Nine plants with a total capacity of 354 MWel have been built there.
Table 1 shows some details of these plants [16], which are named
solar electric generating system (SEGS).
Fig. 1 shows the principal design of a parabolic trough collector
and a scheme of the SEGS plant as they are running in California.
The SEGS plants employ a dual circuit system. In the primary circuit
a heat transfer uid (HTF) with a high boiling temperature of 400

C
is heated while it ows through the absorber tube. In a heat
exchanger the thermal energy is transferred to a conventional
watersteam power process. The collectors are oriented in North
South direction and followthe sun by one-axis tracking system. The
plants are equipped with a fossil-red auxiliary boiler which
enables the plants to produce electricity even at cloud passages or
after sunset.
The Californian plants are privately nanced projects. The plant
owner sells the generated electricity to the utility, Southern Cali-
fornian Edison. The power purchase agreements (PPA) have a run
time of 10 years. Hence the oldest plants are currently operating
under their 3rd PPA. The plants are running since 15 years and more
(the oldest since 21 years) and show a very high availability. They
have generated more than 12,000 GWh so far and are still in a good
condition.
3.2. AndaSol solar troughs
Spains AndaSol projects, being developed by Solar Millennium
and ACS Cobra, are the rst large-scale parabolic trough power
plants in Europe. Each AndaSol project represents a fully dis-
patchable capacity of 50 MWe employing a highly efcient steam
power cycle combined with 6 h of full-load thermal storage capa-
bility. Each plant is expected to generate approximately 170 GWh
per year.
The rst two AndaSol plants, AndaSols 1 and 2, are located in the
high valley of Marquesado de Zenete, 60 km southeast of Granada
at an elevation of approximately 1000 m (3300 ft). A 400-kV high-
voltage transmission line crosses the valley, and a newsubstation is
planned for a nearby city. Construction of AndaSol 1 began in
September 2006 and is scheduled for completion in late 2008.
AndaSol 2 construction began in February 2007 and will be
completed approximately 24 months later.
Each plant consists of 624 collectors 150 m long, which
concentrate sunlight about 80 times onto absorber tubes installed
in the focal line. Absorber tubes consist of a stainless steel tube with
a selective coating that is covered by a glass envelope tube to
Table 1
Data of the SEGS parabolic trough solar power plants in California, USA.
Plant name SEGS I plant SEGS II VII plant SEGS VIII and
IX plants
Number of plants 1 6 2
Location Dagget Dagget at Kramer Jct. Harper lake
Start of operation 1985 19861989 1990 and 1991
Power (MW) 14 30 80
Collector width (m) 2.50 5 and 5.76 5.76
Max. uid temperature (

C) 307 350 and 390 390

Annual average efciency (%) 9.3 10.712.4 13.8
Investment cost ($/kWel) 4490 32003870 2890
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 626
reduce thermal losses. The annular space between absorber tube
and glass tube is evacuated. Through the absorber tubes circulates
a synthetic oil heat transfer uid that is heated to a temperature of
nearly 400

C [17].
The AndaSol plants will use newSKAL-ETcollectors, which were
developed and qualied by the Solar Millennium group and its
partners for the AndaSol project. To extend operation beyond
daylight hours, thermal energy storage will be integrated into the
plant design. Solar energy collected during the day will be trans-
ferred to a molten salt solution at a temperature of approximately
385

C.
3.3. The parabolic troughs in Priolo Gargallo and Specchia (The
Archimede project)
The parabolic trough power plant of Priolo Gargallo whose
construction has begun on 2004, and its rst production of energy
is forecasted for the end of 2009 is an Integrated Solar Combined
Cycle (ISCC). This means that it is coupled to a conventional gas and
steam cogeneration plant, providing an expected extra output of
20760 MWel that it is already delivering. The project is called
ARCHIMEDE and it is a joint venture between the main partner, the
Italian public research institute ENEA, and the Italian national
energy company ENEL. They are working together with many other
minor private companies. The main parameters of the projects are
exhibited in Table 2 [18].
The main advantage of the hybrid solution is that the solar plant
will make large use of the already existing non-solar components,
therefore focusing the investment costs on the solar technology
elements. Moreover, the electricity generation can be adjusted in
order to match peak-demands during the day. Other new
improvements are:
A cheaper and more robust mirror design
A higher operating temperature, which is now about 550

C,
which requires, in turn, a newdesign of the coating of the layer
receiving the concentrated solar light
The use of an environmentally friendly, non-ammable cooling
liquid
The introduction of a large heat storage, which can fully
compensate for solar discontinuities.
4. Solar irradiation over Jordan and site selection for
installing the proposed CSPP
Solar irradiation the energy source for solar power plants has
direct and diffuse components. Only the direct irradiation can be
focused and thus be utilized by the CSPP for electricity generation.
Measurement of solar radiation can be performed by different tech-
niques, andis basically distinguishedintoground-basedandsatellite-
based data. Satellite databases are used to identify solar irradiation
potential for huge areas, e.g. individual counties or states. The values
for solar irradiation are calculated from the extraterrestrial constant
reducedbyclouds, dust or other atmospheric inuences measuredby
meteorological satellites. Ground-based data are used for more
detailed site investigations. Fundamental planning and detailed
project development including energy yield forecast can only be
carried out on the basis of this data. The difference between satellite-
based andground-based data for a short time frame of anhour canbe
signicant for two reasons: (1) Satellite pictures represent a point of
time while ground measuring instruments calculate averages; (2)
Satellite pictures show a land area, while ground installed
measurements are xed to a distinct place. Nevertheless, the differ-
ence between satellite-based and ground-based data for yearly sums
is about 3%of the total solar radiation which is relatively small with
respect to the short time frame and thus, the correlation between
the two data sources over a longer time period is good [19].
A detailed analysis of the direct solar irradiation over Jordan is
a very important step to identify the sites which are best situated
for efcient electricity generation. Fig. 2 shows the solar map of
Jordan employing satellite-based solar irradiation data [20].
Colored areas showJordanian locations where an operation of CSPP
is technically possible. An operation of CSPP is economically viable
above an average annual direct normal irradiation (DNI) of
2000 kWh/m
2
annually [21]. In Jordan there is a high potential for
CSPP since the average annual DNI is above this value at most sites.
The most potential sites are those located in the southern part of
the country.
Fig. 3 exhibits the theoretical economical potential for electricity
generation by CSPP in Jordan, calculated using the satellite-based
solar irradiation data obtained from Ref. [20]. It amounts to about
6400 TWh/year (The current electricity consumption of Jordan is
9 TWh/year [7]). Exclusion areas like urban and industrial use,
hydrograph, protected areas, land cover, geomorphology and
topography are also considered in this gure.
Ground based measured DNI in Jordan is available only for few
sites. Measurement stations have been established and maintained
from June 1989 to July 1992 at Quweira, RasNaqab and Kharana by
the Paul Scherrer Institute/Switzerland.
Fig. 1. The parabolic trough collector with absorber tube (a) and schematic (b) of the parabolic trough SEGS plant in California.
Table 2
Main parameters of Archimede project.
Plant location Priolo Gargallo (Syracause)
Orientation of collectors NorthSouth
Number of collectors 360
Active surface of collectors (10
3
m
2
) 199.1
Thermal energy collected per year (GWh/year) 179.4
Gross thermal energy generated per year (GWh/year) 59.2
Annual CO
2
emissions avoided (ton/year) 39,458
Annual primary energy savings (ton/year) 12,703
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 627
Quweira and RasNaqab are located in the southwestern part of
the country, where direct irradiation is very high, while Kharana is
situated in the northern part of Jordan. Ground-based data is only
available for Quweira. Correlations between Quweira and RasaNaqb
located at a distance of 30 km from each other showed no
signicant difference. Solar maps from satellite data show, that an
average DNI-value of 2400 kWh/m
2
/year could be expected for
Kharana. All the three sites are excellent for CSPP. However, further
site analysis will be presented for Quweira only, because ground-
based data is not available for the other two sites.
Year-to-year uctuations of DNI data could be reduced by longer
time series. Fig. 4 shows that after 810 years the deviation from
the typically meteorological year (TMY) is below 5%.
Fig. 5 shows the DNI grid in hour/month resolution for the year
1990 at Quweira, located in the southern part of Jordan at latitude
of 29

47
0
, longitude of 35

18, and elevation of 794 m above sea

level. With the shown DNI values, more than 800 GWh of solar
irradiation can be collected by the solar eld every year. The year
1990 is displayed here, because the year 1991 is generally known as
a doubtfully representative year for the Middle East region. Due to
Fig. 2. Solar map of Jordan with average daily sum of direct normal irradiation per square meter.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700
DNI (kWh/m^2/year)
E
L
E
C
T
R
I
C
I
T
Y

P
O
T
E
N
T
I
A
L

(
T
W
h
/
y
e
a
r
)
Fig. 3. The theoretical economical potential for electricity generation by CSPP in
Jordan.
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 628
the eruption of Volcano Pinatubo on the Philippines (on July 15,
1991) and the Gulf War (starting in January 1991), direct irradiation
is lower in 1991 and diffuse irradiation is higher at the same time.
5. The proposed CSPP
The proposed CSPP is subdivided into three systems, which are
linked to each other: the collector eld, the heat transfer uid (HTF)
system, and the power block.
The collector eld consists of collector loops, arranged in
parallel. Each loop consists of collectors, arranged in series to a loop.
Collectors concentrate the solar irradiation to a focal line, where the
HTF the kind of which is proprietary information is heated up. In
order to focus the sunlight, the collectors need to be moved by
a tracking system.
The HTF system is used for heat transportation. Hot HTF at
a temperature level of about 390

C is transported from the
collectors to the power block. After dispensing the heat for steam
generation, the HTF is pumped back to the collectors at a temper-
ature level of about 290

C. Core components are pumps for HTF
circulation, pipes, valves and vessels. The melting point of HTF is
12

C. Thus, a heater is installed to prevent the HTF from freezing,
when ambient temperature falls below 12

C.
The power block converts heat from the HTF to superheated
steam and then to electricity. Feed water heating and a reheat
turbine is used to increase efciency. The power block includes
fossil-red back-up systems in order to provide a back-up for
periods without sun.
The design concept for the proposed CSPP is based on the
following assumptions:
Solar irradiation according to measured data at Quweira
No fossil-red steam boiler
No storage.
This rst concept excludes a supporting fossil-red boiler. In full
project development a back-up system should be included to
extend plant availability. This could either be a thermal storage or
a fossil-red boiler. The decision of the collector type has a major
impact on the collector eld design. The utilized Eurotrough
collector is developed by a European consortium to improve the
performance based on the experiences made at the solar electric
generating system power plants.
5.1. Cooling technology to be utilized for the proposed CSPP
Technically, the most efcient cooling technology is cooling via
evaporation. The most cost efcient cooling technology for a CSPP is
mainly dependent on the cost for water at the site. Since best sites
for CSPP are generally located in the desert, water is most likely
used for other purposes than power plant supply. Dry cooling
becomes very attractive at those sites. It requires enforced
convection through a fan. This increases the parasitic power
consumption signicantly. Since dry cooling is less efcient than
wet cooling, the overall efciency of the steam cycle decreases.
From the nancial point of view it has to be considered that
investment costs for dry cooling are higher. Summarizing the above
mentioned, dry cooling has three main disadvantages, which are
listed against wet cooling in Table 3. However, a decision was made
to utilize the dry cooling method based on the fact that Jordan
suffers from water shortages.
Fig. 5. DNI grid in hour/month resolution for Quweira, 1990.
Fig. 4. Deviation from the global radiation TMY value.
Table 3
Comparison of cooling technologies.
Cooling technology Wet Dry
Steam cycle efciency 37% 35%
Parasitic electricity consumption 5 MW 7 MW
Energy yield 117 GWh 109 GWh
Evaporated water 180 m
3
/MW
Investment 2.9 Million JD 9.6 Million JD
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 629
The aforementioned assumptions led to CSPP with the shown in
Fig. 6 layout and parameters summarized in Table 4. The proposed
plant which will use a land area of 1,200,000 m
2
and an aperture
of 305,200 m
2
represents a fully dispatchable capacity of 50 MWe.
It employs 560 Eurotrough 100 collectors with 70 loops. Based on
the solar radiation intensities at the plants site located in Jordan,
the full-load hours are expected to be 2345, and the plant is
expected to generate approximately 117 GWh per year.
5.2. Simulation of the proposed CSPP energy yield
In order to estimate the energy yield of the proposed CSPP at
Quweira, a calculation model using the concept design of the
proposed CSPP was developed at Lahmeyer International. The
calculation proceeds in the following manner:
(1) Calculation of the thermal power of the solar eld using the
following parameters:
Position of the sun for the given site
Hourly DNI values
Collector type and efciency
Number of collectors in the solar eld
Row shading
Thermal inertia
Parasitic power consumption
Turbine overload
(2) Calculation of the electrical power of the solar power plant
The electrical power of the solar eld is calculated from the
efciency of the Rankine-cycle as function of thermal load. This
efciency is derived from the simulation software Thermo-ow.
Figs. 7 and 8 exhibit the calculation results of the solar eld
thermal power and electrical power of the plant, respectively.
Considering turbine overload conditions during summer months
and parasitic power consumption of the plant, the electrical
production, generated by the power plant sums up as displayed in
Fig. 9. It is observed that a peak power production occurs in the
summer months. This production curve does meet the demand of
Jordan. Yearly and daily peak demand periods are dependent on
cooling facilities such as air conditioners.
Fig. 10 exhibits the typical electricity demand over a year in
Jordan [7]. It shows that the supply curve of a CSPP and the demand
curve of Jordan match closely in a daily and yearly cycle. CSPPs are
especially suitable for peak power demand, because they have their
highest efciency at summer months and during midday when
electricity demand reaches its peak. Extension of the electricity
production in the evening can be achieved by a thermal storage
system or a fossil-red boiler.
5.3. Economic feasibility analysis
Calculation of the levelized electricity cost (LEC) was performed,
using estimated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC)
costs in addition to operation and maintenance (O and M) costs.
Fig. 6. Layout plan of the proposed 50 MW CSPP.
Table 4
Design characteristics of the proposed CSPP.
Capacity 50 MW
Number of collectors 560
Collector type Eurotrough 100
Number of loops 70
Aperture 305,200 m
2
Land use 1,200,000 m
2
Full-load hours 2345
Annual electricity yield 117 GWh
Cooling Dry
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 630
The monetary data was expressed in Jordanian Dinar (JD), where 1
JD1000 Fils (F) z1.41 US$.
The EPC costs supplied in Table 5 are obtained from expe-
rience at the existing solar electric generating system plants in the
world. A continuous plant operation includes frequent replacement
of materials and media. This includes especially reector panels,
heat collecting elements and heat transfer uid. The plant
consumes also water and electricity to run the power block. Water
is mainly used for the power block and also for mirror cleaning.
Table 5 summarizes these costs.
The LEC calculation considers rates for return on equity of 12%
and 3% interests for bonded capital in a base case scenario. For the
Fig. 7. Thermal power of the proposed 50 MW CSPP.
Fig. 8. Electrical power of the proposed 50 MW CSPP.
Fig. 9. Monthly production of the proposed 50 MW CSPP.
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 631
capital distribution, the following was assumed: 70% foreign capital
and 30% equity capital. Total Investment cost for this calculation has
to include soft costs: project development, land cost, fees for
licenses, consulting and any other expenses directly related to the
project. Soft costs are assumed to be 10% of the EPC costs.
When a grace period is considered, the annuity is calculated for
the years left to pay off the credit. Therefore, it appears to be higher
in the repayment period, than for the same condition without grace
period. For the grace period, very soft nancing conditions are
assumed. This includes in particular no repay and no interest
payment during that period. Table 6 shows the input parameters
for LEC calculation.
The LEC was calculated in four different loan conditions under
the following assumptions:
In case 1, a situation close to market conditions is represented
In case 2, the interest rate is reduced from 6% to 3%
In case 3, the depreciation time is increased from20 years to 30
years
In case 4, a grace period of 10 years is introduced.
In case 4 a dept interest rate which is the annual rate of
interest paid to the debt holder at the end of each year of the term
of the debt of 3%, depreciation period that is the period over
which the project capital costs are depreciated using a constant rate
of 30 years and a grace period where very soft nancing
conditions are assumed, including in particular no repay and no
interest payment during that period of 10 years were introduced.
These three factors with the chosen values are expected to have
a great role in reducing the LEC value.
Fig. 11 exhibits the LEC for the four different loan conditions in
addition to the average current LEC [16]. It reveals that the lowest
LEC which equals about 107 JF/kWh is obtained for the fourth loan
condition. This value is comparable with the average current LEC
obtained from hybrid parabolic trough plants of about 106.5 JF/
kWh. These values of LEC are expected to be reduced to approxi-
mately 40 JF/kWh in the medium term after a successful penetra-
tion of the electricity market. This would be competitive with the
typical fossilfuel generation costs [16].
Comparing the obtained LEC and the annual production from
the proposed plant, with those of PV systems obtained from
Ref. [22], reveals that for lowirradiation values the annual output of
solar thermal systems is much lower than of PV systems. On the
other hand, for high irradiations solar thermal systems provide the
best-cost solution even when considering higher cost reduction
factors for PV in the next decade.
6. Electrical power system in Jordan and possible connection
with the proposed CSPP
The interconnected electrical power system of Jordan, shown in
Fig. 12 [23] consists of the main generating power stations, 132 kV
and 400 kV transmission network. This transmission network
interconnects the power stations with the load centers and
different areas in the kingdom. The system also includes the
230 kV, 400 kV tie lines with Syria, and 400 kV tie line with Egypt in
addition to the distribution networks, which serve the population
in Jordan. In addition to that, the electrical power system in Jordan
includes some private power stations, which are synchronized with
the rest of the power stations in the intergraded network and there
are a few private power stations, which are not connected with the
interconnected network and serve only their owners. The total
system installed capacity at the end of 2007 was 2019 MW, of
which 1873 MW is the capacity of the interconnected system, this
means that the inter-connected system constitutes 92.8% of the
total installed capacity in Jordan. The total length of 132 kV
network and above is about 3400 km-circuit and the total installed
capacity of the substations is 6189 mVA.
Due to the fact that the proposed CSPP will be located in Queira
which is connected to national grid it will be very easy to
connect the CSPP to the national grid to support it and because
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t
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MONTH
E
L
E
C
T
R
I
C
I
T
Y

D
E
M
A
N
D

[
M
W
]
Minimum load Morning load Evening load
Fig. 10. Typical electricity demand over a year in Jordan.
Table 5
Parameters utilized in the economic feasibility analysis.
Estimated erection time 2 Years
Durability More than 20 years
EPC cost 155 Million JD
O&M staff 40 Employees
Table 6
Input parameters for LEC calculation.
Parameter Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4
Total investment cost (million JD) 170 170 170 170
Debt share (%) 70 70 70 70
Debt interest rate (%) 6 3 3 3
Return on equity (%) 12 12 12 12
Annuity (%) 8.7 6.7 5.1 6.7
Depreciation time (years) 20 20 30 30
Grace period (years) 0 0 0 10
O&M cost (million JD/year) 3.86 3.86 3.86 3.86
Capacity (MW) 50 50 50 50
Full-load operation (h/year) 2345 2345 2345 2345
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1 2 3 4 Current LEC
CASE
L
E
C

(
J
F
/
k
W
h
)
Fig. 11. LEC for the four different loan conditions.
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 632
Queira is close to Egypt, part of the electricity produced by the CSPP
could be exported to Egypt.
7. Road map for the rst commercial CSPP in Jordan
The technical market potential of CSPP worldwide is estimated
to be greater than 6400 MW over the next 20 years [15]. However,
due to the high cost of CSPP and the competition with other forms
of electricity generation, it will depend on nancial support and
incentives until the industry develops the technologies and econ-
omies of scale needed to become truly cost-competitive. In this
context, seven countries (Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Germany, Israel,
Morocco and Spain) in addition to U.S. state of (Nevada) adopted
the Global Market Initiative (GMI) with the objective of supporting
the creation of adequate market conditions conducive to build new
CSPP plants and to expedite the deployment of 5000 MWe of CSP
plants by 2015 [16].
To make the long-term investments needed to achieve lower
costs, a visible, reliable, and growing market for solar thermal
power must be established. Three policy areas will have the
greatest impact on that objective: targets and tariffs, regulations,
and nancing mechanisms.
With respect to targets and tariffs, GMI organizers recommend
that countries and states participating in the GMI establish
a consistent base of national laws and regulations, such as adequate
feed-in tariffs or public benet charges specically for CSPP. They
should establish renewable portfolio standards (RPS) or similar
mechanisms that encourage electricity generation from renew-
ables, specically CSPP.
With respect to regulations, GMI urges policy makers to avoid
limitations on CSPP capacity or operating strategies that could
increase the cost of introducing the technology. Policy makers
should also remove restrictive laws that hinder interconnection to
CSPP to allow more cost-effective connection to the electric grid.
With respect to nancing, GMI advocates recommend that
Kyoto Protocol instruments should be applicable to CSPP and be
bankable. They also advise policy makers to institute production
tax credits similar to those now enjoyed by wind power, and
Fig. 12. Jordan electric power system.
M.S. Al-Soud, E.S. Hrayshat / Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009) 625635 633
which stimulated the growth of wind power in some countries.
In addition, policy makers should establish loan guarantee
programs and maintain investment tax credits to support the
initial capital investments needed before CSPP plants begin to
produce power.
For the Jordanian and developing countries (especially those
located in the MENA region) case, when the nancial framework is
set-up, an international tendering procedure for an independent
power producer (IPP) which were encouraged by energy sectors
comprehensive national strategy approved by the Jordanian
Council of Ministers in January 2004 to implement energy
projects on BOO (Build-Own-Operate), BOT (Build-Operate-
Transfer) and BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) basis is recom-
mend [24]. Loans will be easily obtained from some of the main
sponsors of energy investments in the developing world, i.e. the
Worldbank Group, the Kreditanstalt fu r Wiederaufbau (KfW), the
European Investment Bank (EIB) in addition to the Global Envi-
ronmental Facility (GEF) (who approved grants for rst solar
thermal projects in Egypt, India, Mexico and Morocco of approxi-
mately US$ 200 million in total only in the year 2000, when the oil
price was only US$ 30/barrel [25]) who have recently been
convinced due to current oil prices of the environmental
promises and the economic perspectives of CSPP.
The IPP will sell the produced electricity to the tariff xed in the
feed-in law. The IPP structure is proposed due to the binding
momentum for both sides. The IPP is bound to produce electricity
and the government is bound to buy the electricity on a xed tariff
basis. This approach includes the contracting of a consultant for
tender document preparation. Call for proposals and proposal
evaluation will be performed by the consultant. The Government
will then make a decision on the preferred bidder and will contract
an IPP for the rst CSPP.
For Jordans and MENA region case, reliable data for DNI of the
proposed site have to be available for solid development of a CSPP.
Therefore, data collection at the most promising sites should begin
in parallel to the development and completion of the nancial
boundary conditions.
The above described steps are summarized as follows:
(1) Regulatory and nancial conditions for investors
Either
Development of a feed-in tariff regulation for RE
Or
Application for soft loan at a suited international nancing
institution
Approval of soft loan (to be granted to the successful IPP
bidder)
International bidding procedure for an IPP.
(2) Technical requirements
Collection of ground and satellite-based DNI data.
8. Conclusions
It bodes well that renewable energy technologies suchas CSPP
have become an important issue for most of the developed and
developing countries, especially those located in the MENA region,
whichincludes Jordan. The rise of oil prices, the shortage of energy, in
addition to the fact that operation of CSPP is economically viable in
most of Sun built regions such as the MENA countries (since the
average DNI values there are above the economically viable average
annual direct normal irradiation of 2000 kWh/m
2
annually) have
initiateda renewedinterest inCSPP. The political dimensionis further
demonstrated by the formation by the GMI nations of a taskforce
to nd ways of stimulating the creation of adequate market
conditions conducive to build new CSPP plants and to expedite the
deployment of 5000 MWe of CSP plants by 2015.
The usage of CSPP could not only create jobs, boost economies,
but also might help to reduce the risks of energy related conicts.
Moreover, this technology could play a major role in combating
climate change by means of exible instruments dened in the
Kyoto Protocol. Those instruments may also help to reduce the
higher capital costs in the long run. The average current LEC
obtained from hybrid parabolic trough plants of about 106.5 JF/
kWh, which was found to be comparable with the LEC value
calculated for the proposed plant of about 107 JF/kWh is expec-
ted to be reduced to approximately 40 JF/kWh in the mediumterm
after a successful penetration of the electricity market. This would
be competitive with the typical fossilfuel generation costs.
Compared to the LEC of PV systems, the CSPP provides for high
irradiations the best-cost solution even when considering higher
cost reduction factors for PV in the next decade.
Based on the aforementioned facts, the establishment of the
proposed CSPP is highly recommended not only in Jordan, but also
in many other countries, which have similar political and
economical conditions such as those countries located in the MENA
region.
To allow a moderate introduction of the CSPP into the existing
energy supply structure, the following two items should be
implemented in the near future, and should be executed in parallel
in order to achieve best results for future energy supply by RE
sources:
Introduction of feed-in tariffs for RE based on RE law
Erection of ground-based measurement stations for collecting
long-term direct solar irradiation and meteorological data.
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Eng. Z.
Jibril Director of Renewable Energy Department/Jordanian
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for his valuable help and
support.
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