Analysis evaluates the technical and economic aspects of solar thermal technology, suggesting its viability in arid climates.
An analysis of a 20 MW parabolic trough solar thermal power plant in Kenitra, Morocco, is offered in terms of its technical and economic evaluation. The plant has a direct normal irradiance (per year) of more than 4.65 kWh/m2/day, and uses Therminol VP-1 as the heat transfer medium and a dry cooling system to reduce the use of water. The System Advisor Model (SAM 2023.12.02) is used to do design and performance simulations, including a thermal energy storage unit built on HITEC solar salt to allow six hours of full-load operation. At a solar multiple of 2, the system has an annual output of 53.29 GWh electric power, or a capacity factor of 30.4%. The result of economic analysis is a levelized cost of electricity of 0.1717 $/kWh. Its results have shown the high operational efficiency, sustainability and financial competitiveness of parabolic trough solar thermal technology under a high-irradiance and dry climate like that of Kenitra.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Aftabuzzaman et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: