Enclosed trough solar thermal power plant with thermal energy storage and saltwater condenser in Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The preliminary design of a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant with thermal energy storage (TES) in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is here presented. The specific conditions, in terms of environment, weather and sun irradiance, sand and dust, humidity, temperature, solar irradiance, clouds coverage, and proximity to the sea, are considered. A CSP parabolic trough (PT) with TES in a glass enclosure and a once-through saltwater condenser is selected to produce solar energy with the added value of dispatchability. The results of the simulation by using the System Advisor Model (SAM) software are proposed in detail. The manuscript presents the supporting experimental data, and the model development, validation, and application. The computation of the operation of a reference CSP PT with TES plant located in a drastically different environment, requiring specific components such as a glass enclosure and a once-through saltwater condenser, is trustworthy. A small-scale pilot plant is however suggested before moving to full-scale plant construction.