OBJECTIVES

OVERACHING OBJECTIVES

To develop a new working fluid based on blended supercritical CO₂ that leads to significantly improved cycle performance with respect to state of the art technology, hence achieving the LCoE target <96 €/MWh;
To demonstrate the thermal stability of the new working fluid at 700ºC for 300 hours in real working conditions;
To demonstrate the feasibility of the condensation process performed at high (up to 60ºC) ambient temperature.

Achieving the overarching objectives of the project relies on the successful accomplishment of the following specific objectives:

Technical objectives:

To develop an innovative cycle concept, specifically tailored to the proposed working fluid, which can achieve a thermomechanical conversion efficiency higher than 50%;
To develop and demonstrate innovative heat exchangers, in particular air-cooled condensers, which can fully exploit the properties of the new working fluid;
To develop innovative turbomachinery designs achieving high efficiency when operating with the new working fluid across the range of anticipated variable operating conditions.

Economic objectives:

To develop and demonstrate a cost-effective air condenser technology with 20% lower costs, working with the proposed working fluid blends while allowing fluid condensation at typical CSP locations;
To develop and demonstrate innovative and cost-effective heat exchangers with 10% lower costs for the selected CO₂ blends. Environmental and social objectives:
To reduce the carbon footprint of the innovative power plant by 33% against state-of-the-art commercial CSP plants and other competitive renewable technologies;
To assess and quantify the economic and social impact of the technology