Platts Global Energy Awards Finalists

Solar Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery

The Solar Invictus parabolic sun dishes form the heart of our system to generate solar steam for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). We recognized that oil fields are unique environments and need solutions that are designed to face these particular challenges. Our systems use the same feed water as existing oil industry standard Once Through Steam Generators (OTSG) use and produce exactly the same steam quality. Ultra high efficiency combined with low capital costs help to deliver a Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) that is approximately 30% below that of our nearest solar competitor and also cheaper than natural gas by the same margin. Our systems also offer a reduction in natural gas consumption by 80% as well as in CO2 emissions.

Advantages of the Solar Invictus compared to other solar systems

  • Solar Invictus is ideally suited for EOR – the provided steam quality (temperature, pressure) is exactly the same as of standard Once Through Steam Generators
  • Integrates directly into the existing oil field infrastructure
  • Designed for desert conditions: can withstand harsh sandstorms, high salinity environments and large temperature differentials
  • Uses existing oilfield water to produce steam, no extra treatment necessary
  • In-built self-cleaning system requires no human intervention and only cleans each dish when a drop in efficiency is monitored, thereby minimizing water usage
  • De-centralized steam generation increases system robustness and reliability
  • Individual dishes allow for optimal land usage and reduced piping losses (installation close to injection point)
  • No specialized ground leveling required
  • Modular and scalable concept as well as re-locatable to other sites
 

Integrated Solar Steam Cycle (ISSC)

The Solar Invictus can be used in an ISSC role offering an effective hybrid solution for injecting cheap and clean solar steam into the more traditional power generation cycle.

Unlike solar trough systems, the sun dish generates solar steam at 565°C thereby avoiding the need to use a carbon-based fuel to boost the steam temperature before injecting into a steam turbine.

An ISSC combines the benefit of clean energy with the on-demand dispatchability of a traditional gas plant.

steam-prosses

Desalination

Desalination is taking on greater significance as fresh water becomes scarce. Although it is an absolutely essential process, desalination is also very energy-intensive. In the Middle East the combination of a lack of fresh water and high level of solar irradiance make it an ideal region for using Solar Invictus sun dish systems combined with a thermal desalination process such as Multi Effect Distillation (MED)
The Solar Invictus makes it possible to not only run a desalination plant without producing any emissions but also to achieve a lower cost of producing input steam than by burning natural gas.

steam-prosses

Process Steam

Steam production is the second most energy-intensive of all process applications, accounting for almost 25% of worldwide energy consumption. Solar steam is valuable in energy-intensive sectors of industry located in areas of high solar irradiation. Solar Invictus sun dishes are the perfect answer with the flexibility provided by a modular system and the ability to produce steam at up to 700°C. Our system can work in a hybrid configuration alongside existing boilers and/or can also be paired with a thermal energy storage system to offer an operating time of up to 16 hours..
steam-prosses

High Concentrating Photovoltaic (HCPV)

with thermal energy recovery

In a hybrid application, generating both electrical power and thermal energy, the Solar Invictus can be extremely efficient using HCPV (High-Concentrating Photovoltaic) modules that convert over 40% of the solar energy directly into electricity. The high precision optics of the Solar Invictus create a uniform sunspot over the HCPV modules with concentration ratios between 500 and 1000 suns which provides best working conditions for the modules.
The rest of the energy (heat) which does not take part in electricity generation must be dissipated from the modules in order to maintain the allowed temperature of the HCPV components. But instead of simply wasting this energy it can be utilized in a secondary heat-driven process such as thermal desalination, absorption cooling air-conditioning or for industrial process heat, making it an ideal solution for the Middle East region. The overall efficiency exceeds 70% with the combined functions of power generation and heat supply.
Looking at remote communities, the hybrid application approach can satisfy two essential needs of the local residents at the same time: electricity and potable water. And all this comes in just one system. A local mini-grid can be established with a small cluster of dishes and integrated electricity storage ensuring that people have around the clock fully dispatchable power. A suitably sized thermal desalination unit can provide clean potable water using the recovered thermal energy. The entire system is automated and designed for remote operations, thereby eliminating the need for constant supervision.

Power generation with Stirling engine

Our concentrators are particularly well suited as power sources for Stirling engines and have proven themselves over several years and multiple global deployments. The high optical performance and accuracy makes our concentrators ideal for such demanding applications. The Stirling/Solar Invictus combination is able to achieve net solar to electric conversion rates of over 30%.
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