Investigation of CaCO3/CaO-based TCES system integrated with concentrated solar power plant: a techno-economic analysis

Abstract

Energy production using sustainable technologies is necessary to deal with environmental concerns like temperature rise due to global warming. In this regard, solar thermal technology integrated with thermochemical energy storage (TCES) is capable of playing an important role to replace fossil fuels and solve the problems of intermittent solar source. Therefore, in this study, we present a novel techno-economic analysis of an 800 MWh CaCO₃/CaO-based TCES system integrated with concentrated solar power plant (CSP). In this work, payback period and cost of energy (COE) are uniquely evaluated while CO₂ storage challenges and material reactivity are also addressed. The results demonstrate that the CaCO₃/CaO-CSP system avoids carbon emissions of 1.2 million tons in 30 years of its operation while its energy payback period is 2.3 years. Furthermore, this system achieves a viable COE of 0.155 USD/kWh and a payback period of 27 years, highlighting its economic viability for large-scale renewable energy storage. Addressing challenges such as material reactivity loss and efficient CO₂ storage remains crucial for advancing this technology. Further detailed analysis and continuous improvement are necessary to enhance system performance and encourage broader commercial adoption.