Water and CSP - A preliminary methodology for strategic water demand assessment

Abstract

CSP is highly dependent on water resources. Water resources have been shown to be both less abundant and more variable in high DNI areas. The water consumption of CSP varies according to design considerations and spatiotemporally varying conditions. Water-related risks threaten to further exacerbate the costs of CSP generation. Similarly, water demand from CSP poses a potential risk to already stressed water resources. Adequate planning of CSP fleet deployment is thus necessary to mitigate these risks. Such planning must include detailed assessments of both variable water resource availability, and variable water demand from CSP facilities. This paper presents a preliminary methodology for strategic water demand assessment from CSP plants.