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We describe the design of a large-scale thermal desalination demonstrator unit for use in arid locations with a medium-to-high DNI. Most of thermal energy is provided by a conventional parabolic trough field, in the case of the demonstrator this being 4MWt. The desalination sub-system comprises a 3-effect MED, the first stage of which is a large 20 m diameter glass and steel-structured geodesic and transparent dome. The thermal energy is supplemented by direct sunlight transmitted through the dome and by an arc of small heliostats which focus yet more sunlight onto the dome itself. The prototype is under construction at Neom in KSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1000 m3 prototype of cold Thermal Energy Storage cTES is currently under design to be installed on the condenser cooling circuit of La Africana CSP power plant in Spain. This high TRL prototype is a proof-of-concept of the cTES concept at large scale, in real environment and real operations. The design step is almost completed and the engineering step has already begun. Construction is planned to be performed in 2020 and commissioning may start at the end of 2020. In parallel, benefits of the integration of cTES as additional cooling system has been evaluated fir the specific case of La Africana power plant, for both electricity production and water consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOLWATT project started in May 2018 and involve 9 partners (4 research organizations CEA, CIEMAT, CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY and DLR- and 5 industrial partners TSK, BRIGHTSOURCE, FENIKS, RIOGLASS and TECKNIKER). SOLWATT project is devoted to the reduction of water consumption in CSP power plant. For this purpose, mirror field cleaning, turbine condenser cooling and water recovery are considered. Present paper is devoted more particularly to the cTES industrial prototype (cold thermal energy storage) used to reduce the water consumption related to condenser cooling. The cTES is based on a single-media thermocline storage used to partially or totally store the heat flow from the condenser when ambient temperatures are too high. Storage discharge is performed during the night. A 1000 m3 cTES prototype will be designed and constructed in the 50 MWe La Africana CSP power plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]