NTPC Ltd has signed a 25-year PPA with US-based 247Solar for a hybrid power project at Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan. The approximately 1 MW project will combine a 400 kW modular 247Solar Plant with several hundred kilowatts of solar PV capacity, marking the first commercial deployment of 247Solar’s solar thermal technology.
The project is backed by the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corp. Ltd, which has approved preliminary studies, site surveys, and structural tests.
NTPC and 247Solar selected Bhadla Solar Park as the location for its abundant sunshine, and for its easy interconnection for offtake.
247Solar Plants combine concentrated solar power, thermal energy storage and a proprietary turbine to generate electricity around the clock.
As India races to meet surging electricity demand, utilities have recently built coal capacity alongside solar and wind power to cover the gap left by photovoltaic panels when the sun sets and during bad weather. NTPC will test whether 247Solar’s system can close that gap and reduce the utility’s reliance on coal. With the success of this project, its backers expect the utility to look at expanding the technology more broadly across India.
“This new version of solar thermal solves the problem of intermittent solar and wind power, and avoids spending more on outdated, costly, and dirty coal plants,” said Bruce Anderson, founder and CEO of 247Solar.
“India’s rapid growth plainly requires more clean, reliable and affordable energy,” Anderson added. “Our system can help meet that demand. I’m thrilled that after several years of deep due diligence, NTPC is working with us to bring this promising technology into wider use.”
247Solar’s technology removes the drawbacks of previous Concentrated Solar Power technology. It still captures the sun’s heat with mirrors focused on towers, but the system is simplified, modular, and scalable, and it simultaneously provides heat up to 1000oC (over 1800oF) for industrial processes.
The system stores heat for up to 20 hours in inexpensive ceramic pellets, using hot air to generate electricity around the clock with unique turbines that operate without combustion under normal conditions. If the stored heat runs low overnight or during extended cloudy weather, the same turbines can also run on liquid or gaseous fuels, including natural gas, green hydrogen, or diesel, so the plant can keep producing power without interruption.
247Solar Plant’s key benefits compared with traditional CSP technology include lower cost, speed to power, simplicity of design and operation, high reliability, grid independence, and cost-effective baseload power, according to 247Solar.
The demonstration marks an early step toward round-the-clock clean power for industry and residents in India. Success will position Rajasthan as a proving ground for the technology and give NTPC a new tool as it works to meet the country’s growing power demand while reducing reliance on coal, cutting costs and carbon emissions simultaneously.
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