Conversion of Solar Two to a Kokhala Hybrid Power Tower

The continued drop in energy prices and restructuring of the utility industry have reduced the likelihood that a follow-on commercial 100-MWe power tower project will be built immediately following the Solar Two demonstration project. Given this, it would be desirable to find a way to extend the life of the Solar Two project to allow the plant to operate as a showcase for future power towerprojects. This document lookes at the possiblity of converting Solar Two into a commercial Kokhala hybrid power tower plant at the end of its demonstration period in 1998. The study identifies two gas turbines that could be integrated into a Kokhala cycle at Solar Two and evaluates the design, expected performance, and economics of each of the systems. The study shows that a commerical Kokhalaproject at Solar Two could produce power at a cost of less than $.07/kWhr.