Mojave Solar Project
{{Short description|Solar power plant in California, US}}
{{for|solar projects in the Mojave Desert in general|Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Mojave Solar Project
| name_official =
| image =
| image_caption =
| image_alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|35|0|40|N|117|19|30|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = United States
| location = Mojave Desert, California
| status = O
| construction_began = September 2011
| commissioned = December 1, 2014
| decommissioned =
| cost =
| owner =
| operator =
| solar_type = CSP
| solar_csp_technology = P
| solar_concentration =
| solar_collectors = 2256 (SCAs)
| solar_collectors_area = {{convert|1559347|sqm|acre}}
| solar_aperture_area =
| ps_site_area = {{convert|1765|acre|ha|0}}
| solar_site_resource = 2,685 kW·h/m2/yr
| ps_units_operational = 2 x 140 MWe (gross)
| ps_units_manu_model =
| ps_electrical_capacity = 250
| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 26.5% (2016–2020)
| ps_annual_generation = 579
| website = [http://www.abengoa.com/web/en/novedades/mojave/imagenes/ mojave solar project]
| extra =
}}
The Mojave Solar Project (MSP) is a concentrated solar power (CSP) facility in the Mojave Desert in California, about {{convert|20|mi}} northwest of Barstow. Surrounding the hamlet of Lockhart, Mojave Solar is adjacent to Harper Lake and the SEGS VIII–IX solar plant.
The site was originally reserved for the planned, never built, SEGS IX and XII. For 15 years following its construction in 1990, SEGS VIII–IX was the largest commercial solar power plant in the world, generating around 160 MW at its peak. It is one of three separately owned sites within {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=out}} of one another, that make up the nine solar fields in the Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS #1 and 2 are at Daggett, and #3 through 7 are at Kramer Junction). Harper Lake was the last of these built, and is designated as SEGS #8 and 9. It is still online, but has been surpassed by other newer facilities, including the Mojave Solar Project.{{cite web|url=http://clui.org/project-page/13338/13344|title=The Center for Land Use Interpretation|website=Clui.org|access-date=18 July 2018}}
MSP, with a combined nameplate capacity of 250 MW (gross 280 MW), is made of two, independently operable, solar fields. The power plant cost an estimated $1.6 billion in total and entered commercial operation in December 2014.csp-world.com {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141210114729/http://www.csp-world.com/news/20141202/001546/abengoas-mojave-250-mw-csp-plant-enters-commercial-operation Abengoa's Mojave 250 MW CSP plant enters commercial operation]}}, 2 December 2014 The developer, Abengoa, has successfully secured a $1.2 billion loan guarantee from the US government for the project.{{cite web |url=http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/4480/ |title=US government backs Abengoa’s solar project with $1.2 billion loan guarantee |date=19 September 2011 |work=Energy Efficiency News |access-date=8 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129104456/http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/4480/ |archive-date=29 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://lpo.energy.gov/?projects=abengoa-solar-inc-mojave-solar |title=Abengoa Solar, Inc. (Mojave Solar) |work=Loan Guarantee Program |publisher=DOE |access-date=February 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127091257/https://lpo.energy.gov/?projects=abengoa-solar-inc-mojave-solar |archive-date=January 27, 2012 }}Abengoa Solar [http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_construccion/estados_unidos/#seccion_1 Abengoa Solar - The Mojave Solar Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619041035/http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_construccion/estados_unidos/ |date=2013-06-19 }}
The plant is expected to generate 617,000 MWh of power annually, enough power for more than 88,000 households and to prevent the emission of over 430 kilotons of CO2 a year.{{cite web|title=Loans - Award Summary: Mojave Solar LLC|url=http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecoveryData/pages/recipientprojectsummary508.aspx?awardidsur=128169&awardtype=Loans|publisher=U.S. Government|access-date=26 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225094832/http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecoveryData/pages/recipientprojectsummary508.aspx?awardidsur=128169&awardtype=Loans|archive-date=25 February 2013|url-status=dead}} Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to a 25-year power purchase agreement.{{cite web
|url= http://www.pge.com/nots/rates/tariffs/tm2/pdf/ELEC_3876-E.pdf
|title= Advice Letters 3876-E and 3876-E-A |date= January 11, 2012
|publisher= California Public Utilities Commission
|access-date= February 7, 2012
}}
The plant was commissioned on 1 December 2014.{{cite web
|url= http://www.utilitydive.com/news/abengoa-puts-250-mw-csp-array-online-in-california/339957/
|title= Abengoa puts 250 MW CSP array online in California
|publisher= Industry Dive
|access-date= June 28, 2015
}}
Technology
File:Mojave Solar Project Under Construction.jpg
Using the desert's solar thermal energy, the facility generates steam in solar steam generators, which expands through a steam turbine generator to produce electrical power from twin, independently operable solar fields, each feeding a 125 MW power island. Generation is provided 100% from sun, no supplement from fossil-based energy sources. There is a gas-fired auxiliary boiler, for each field, only to provide equipment and heat-transfer fluid (HTF) freeze protection, when temperatures fall below {{convert|54|°F|°C}}.
File:Parabolic trough at Harper Lake in California.jpg
The power cycle is a Rankine-with-reheat thermodynamic cycle from heat supplied via heat-transfer fluid, solar field heated up to {{convert|740|°F|°C}}. When operating, the transfer fluid enters the solar field at about {{convert|520|°F|°C}}. The steam generator steam exit temperature is about {{convert|720|°F|°C}}.
Each field utilizes 1128 solar collector arrays (SCA) sited on about {{convert|710|acre|ha}}. Each SCA, model E2 from Abengoa (derived from Luz's LS-3), is {{convert|125|m|ft}} long and is made of 10 solar collector elements (SCE), {{convert|12|m|ft}} long each and {{convert|5.76|m|ft}} aperture. The E2 steel frame collector with monolithic glass reflector panels, yields a total aperture area of {{convert|691.2|sqm|sqft}}. That makes a total of {{convert|779674|sqm|sqft}} aperture each solar field, {{convert|1559347|sqm|sqft}} total for the plant, operating about 3,024 hours per year.
Cooling is provided by wet cooling towers; water for the towers and solar collector washing, is supplied from onsite groundwater wells. Water from condensed steam exits the cooling tower pump at about {{convert|80|°F|°C}}, before cycling back to the steam generator.
Production
Mojave Solar Project production is as follows (values in MW·h).{{cite web
|url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/57331/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.57331-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.57331-SUN-ALL.M
|title=Mojave Solar Project, Monthly
|work=Electricity Data Browser
|publisher=Energy Information Administration
|access-date=March 8, 2017}}
| class=wikitable style="text-align:right; font-size:0.9em;"
|+Generation (MW·h) of Mojave Solar Project | |||||||||||||
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015
| 4,816 || 28,254 || 49,104 || 57,830 || 49,132 || 43,618 || 64,353 || 63,367 || 57,559 || 37,406 || 32,818 || 15,319 ! 503,576 | |||||||||||||
| 2016
| 4,635 || 42,348 || 41,890 || 54,991 || 75,569 || 80,338 || 87,565 || 79,153 || 68,245 || 45,346 || 30,315 || 14,512 ! 624,907 | |||||||||||||
| 2017
| 6,055 || 22,196 || 54,504 || 61,408 || 76,179 || 78,362 || 74,443 || 58,478 || 63,663 || 55,255|| 21,818||21,669 ! 594,030 | |||||||||||||
| 2018
| 21,688 || 37,489 || 48,733 || 42,966 || 78,035 || 84,956 || 70,267 || 71,788 || 74,929 || 51,473 || 13,976 || 8,880 ! 605,180 | |||||||||||||
| 2019
| 7,515 || 11,390 || 46,369 || 58,355 || 58,087 || 77,835 || 68,904 || 59,394 || 46,771 || 47,293 || 25,166 || 7,405 ! 514,484 | |||||||||||||
| 2020
| 12,129 || 34,521 || 36,296 || 52,915 || 76,143 || 62,317 || 84,935 || 70,617 || 42,023 || 42,479 || 27,705 || 16,334 ! 558,414 | |||||||||||||
| 2021
| 12,791 || 12,868 || 47,671 || 68,076 || 80,161 || 72,881 || 62,811 || 74,112 || 63,478 || 43,962 || 33,885 || 15,281 ! 587,977 | |||||||||||||
| 2022
| 11,423 || 20,956 || 55,560 || 66,317 || 76,011 || 80,549 || 71,095 || 66,275 || 56,939 || 48,817 || 27,423 || 14,337 ! 595,702 | |||||||||||||
| 2023
| 16,981 || 20,739 || 40,762 || 73,168 || 78,781 || 77,368 || 82,415 || 68,125 || 63,301 || 49,837 || 27,686 || 13,239 ! 612,402 | |||||||||||||
| colspan=13|Total (2015-2023) | 5,196,672 |
Maximum production was planned at 617,000 MW·h per year.{{cite web
|url=https://www.energy.gov/lpo/mojave
|url-status=live
|title=Mojave
|year=2011
|department=Loan Programs Office
|website=www.energy.gov
|agency=U.S. Department of Energy
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627222744/https://www.energy.gov/lpo/mojave
|archive-date=27 June 2017
|access-date=12 September 2019
|quote=Mojave is expected to generate 617,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy and prevent 329,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually}}
See also
{{stack|{{Portal|California|Renewable energy}}}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web
|title= Mojave Solar Project
|url= http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_construccion/estados_unidos/#seccion_2
|work= Plants under construction
|publisher= Abengoa Solar
|access-date= February 7, 2012
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120621141800/http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_construccion/estados_unidos/#seccion_2
|archive-date= June 21, 2012
|url-status= dead
}}
- {{cite web |title=Abengoa Mojave Solar Project
|url= http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=57
|date= October 20, 2011
|work= SolarPACES |publisher= National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE)
|access-date= February 7, 2012 }}
- {{cite web |title= Abengoa Mojave Solar Project Power Plant Licensing Case
|url= http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/abengoa/index.html
|date= July 18, 2011 |publisher= California Energy Commission
|access-date= February 7, 2012 }}
- {{cite web
|title= Abengoa Mojave Solar Power Plant (CACA 52096)
|url= http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack/abengoa.html
|date= July 15, 2011
|work= Renewable Energy Priority Projects
|publisher= Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Dept. of the Interior (DOI)
|access-date= February 7, 2012
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120114085057/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack/abengoa.html
|archive-date= January 14, 2012
|url-status= dead
}}
{{Generating stations in California|state=autocollapse}}
{{Solar power in the United States}}
Category:Solar power in the Mojave Desert
Category:Solar power stations in California
Category:Buildings and structures in San Bernardino County, California