Concentrated solar power in Brazil

Solar thermal power plants for the production of electricity until now have been mainly built in Southern Europe, North and South Africa and the United States (GIZ, 2014). 

Power plants with concentrating solar power systems use the sun, instead of the fossil fuel, as a heat source. The steam from the boiling water spins a large turbine, which drives a generator to produce electricity (NREL, 2014). The key advantage of this system in compare with the other renewable energy sources is a possibility to implement a thermal storage system. This opportunity of energy storage makes this system a reliable and flexible energy generation unit (IRENA, 2012).

Brazil offers a great potential for the CSP technology. The data from NREL shows very good values of direct normal solar radiation. In addition the values near the equator showing the constant optical conditions for the plant operation that add the stability to energy producing (GIZ, 2014).

Furthermore, Brazil possesses a developed industrial sector that can be adapted to produce components of CSP plant, such as steel and glass industry, chemical and petrochemical companies. 

As part of the German Climate Technology Initiative (DKTI), Brazilian government together with GIZ (German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation) are working on the creation of conditions for the development and dissemination of CSP in Brazil. The project consists of different components as training and education, research and development, building of the experimental plant, matching industry and universities etc. This cooperation is aiming at the creation of foundation for further CSP development in Brazil and the strengthening the German-Brazilian cooperation.

As CSP technology requires for the moment high investments. In Brazil it’s seen currently as a good opportunity for the steam generation. There are many industries that need the heat for the production processes. At the moment these companies use wood that sometimes favors illegal deforestation. Indeed, CSP technology could be already a competitive alternative for the steam production and clean energy producer in the future.