FEASIBLE STUDY FOR THE CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT INSTALLED IN ZAKHO

Abstract

Concentrated solar power (csp) plants offer a viable solution to the electricity issue and the environmental repercussions of traditional energy generating. This paper studies the technical and economic assessment of two concentrated solar power configurations parabolic trough collector systems and a solar power tower utilizing the system advisor model (sam) created by national renewable energy laboratory (nrel). The selected location is zakho city, which experiences an annual average direct normal irradiation (dni) surpassing 6.61 kwh/m²/day, rendering it very suitable for csp implementation. The analysis evaluates a 99.9 mwₑ parabolic trough plant with a 101.66 mwₑ solar power tower, focusing on monthly and annual energy outputs, system efficiencies, and levelized cost of energy (lcoe). The findings demonstrate that the parabolic trough attains a levelized cost of energy (lcoe) of 12.75 cents per kilowatt-hour and a capacity factor (cf) of 38.1%, but the solar power tower exhibits superior economic performance at 9.33 cents per kilowatt-hour and capacity factor 58.7%. Both technologies exhibit robust energy outputs and the capacity to substantially enhance the local energy composition. The findings indicate that csp projects in high-dni areas such as zakho can improve energy security, diminish greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable development. Recommendations are offered for enhancing plant design, increasing cost efficiency, and incorporating csp into iraq's long-term renewable energy strategy.