Central receiver power plant: A feasibility study based on the central receiver technology

Lebanon imports all his needs in power in the form of fossil fuel, more than 96% of the electricity consumed in Lebanon is generated by thermal power stations, with a high fuel import price and a high loss rate, coupled with a shortage in installed capacity caused energy outages and a great financial deficit. Lebanon has a great solar energy resource which offers an important renewable energy source, which will reduce the oil dependence, both economically and politically. The central receiver technology has proven both technical and financial success in the last years, leading to a number of commercial projects. This project presents a first of a kind solar pure power tower in the Arabic and north African region, experience gained can be used for the development of future large scale solar projects and the development of the solar industry in order to lower costs. This paper represents a feasibility study of a central receiver power plant; a 1,000,000 m² land area was spotted in cooperation with “Electricité de Zahle” (EDZ), on which the project was studied.