Carbon neutral city pioneers inverted C.S.P. technology

Researchers from Abu Dhabi and Japan launch new concentrated solar power project in Masdar

Unlike conventional solar tower technologies, the beam
down process uses an inverted design where the receiver
is located at the base of the tower. Photo from Masdar

Industry and research groups from Abu Dhabi and Japan have launched a new concentrated solar power (C.S.P.) project in Masdar City using beam down technology.

Unlike conventional solar tower technologies, which use mirrors called heliostats to direct the sun rays onto a receiver at the top of a central tower, the beam down process uses an inverted design where the receiver is located at the base of the tower.

The inverted design reportedly can reduce generation costs by preventing energy losses from the pumping of fluid to an elevated receiver found in traditional C.S.P. plants.

Initial tests for the technology yielded positive results and could revolutionize the way solar towers are built in the future, according to Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of Masdar.

Masdar, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Japan’s Cosmo Oil Company and the Tokyo Institute of Technology will work on the solar project.

Masdar, a subsidiary of state-owned Mubadala Development Company, is behind the Masdar City project, promoted as the world’s first carbon-neutral city. The city will run on renewable energy and will deal with its waste through composting, waste-to-energy treatment or recycling.

–   Oliver M. Bayani