Richard Thonig
@thonig.bsky.social
CSP.guru | Climate and Energy @Deloitte France
Formerly academic @RIFS_Potsdam and University of Potsdam
Interested in the #EU's #sustainable-#energy-#transition and the role of #CSP. MSTDN: @[email protected]
Formerly academic @RIFS_Potsdam and University of Potsdam
Interested in the #EU's #sustainable-#energy-#transition and the role of #CSP. MSTDN: @[email protected]
Aber Technologieneutral isser, das ist die Hauptsache
November 5, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Aber Technologieneutral isser, das ist die Hauptsache
Reposted by Richard Thonig
- we need to have a rough long-term plan out to 2040-50 because industrial plant, ships and planes have lifetimes of 30-40 years; solutions need to slot into those reinvestment cycles
October 31, 2025 at 6:39 PM
- we need to have a rough long-term plan out to 2040-50 because industrial plant, ships and planes have lifetimes of 30-40 years; solutions need to slot into those reinvestment cycles
In 2024, there was little commercial CSP activity outside of China.
October 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
In 2024, there was little commercial CSP activity outside of China.
In South Africa, the long-delayed 100 MW Redstone project came online in 2024.
October 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
In South Africa, the long-delayed 100 MW Redstone project came online in 2024.
China’s CSP market is growing rapidly, with some 8.1 GW of projects in various stages of development, construction and commissioning at the end of 2024 – more than the total installed capacity globally in 2024 (7.2 GW).
October 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
China’s CSP market is growing rapidly, with some 8.1 GW of projects in various stages of development, construction and commissioning at the end of 2024 – more than the total installed capacity globally in 2024 (7.2 GW).
350 MW of CSP generation capacity was connected to the grid in 2024, 250 MW of which in China.
October 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
350 MW of CSP generation capacity was connected to the grid in 2024, 250 MW of which in China.
So cool. Although I observe you were a bit lazy on the Heliostats.
September 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
So cool. Although I observe you were a bit lazy on the Heliostats.
Reposted by Richard Thonig
if concentrated solar power is so bad then why does it look so fucking cool? checkmate liberals
September 12, 2025 at 5:59 AM
if concentrated solar power is so bad then why does it look so fucking cool? checkmate liberals
Great thoughts from a crown-ready head.
July 3, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Great thoughts from a crown-ready head.
Wir warteten auf Christian #keineverboteundgebote Lindner, demnächst auf Jens #technologieneutralität Spahn.
April 29, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Wir warteten auf Christian #keineverboteundgebote Lindner, demnächst auf Jens #technologieneutralität Spahn.
Having said that, I heard a talk by a FirstSolar guy from Chile once, that essentially said, that PV plants can now modulate in ms as well, so spinning gerneration is not strictly speaking needed any more.
I think the problem may not have been spinning reserve, but I'm not a grid guy.
I think the problem may not have been spinning reserve, but I'm not a grid guy.
April 29, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Having said that, I heard a talk by a FirstSolar guy from Chile once, that essentially said, that PV plants can now modulate in ms as well, so spinning gerneration is not strictly speaking needed any more.
I think the problem may not have been spinning reserve, but I'm not a grid guy.
I think the problem may not have been spinning reserve, but I'm not a grid guy.
It doesn't make sense.
Unfortunately, it also doesn't make sense to run CSP at noon when you already have saturated the grid with cheap PV. This is an artifact of the feed-in-tariff legislation.
Unfortunately, it also doesn't make sense to run CSP at noon when you already have saturated the grid with cheap PV. This is an artifact of the feed-in-tariff legislation.
April 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM
It doesn't make sense.
Unfortunately, it also doesn't make sense to run CSP at noon when you already have saturated the grid with cheap PV. This is an artifact of the feed-in-tariff legislation.
Unfortunately, it also doesn't make sense to run CSP at noon when you already have saturated the grid with cheap PV. This is an artifact of the feed-in-tariff legislation.
Reposted by Richard Thonig
Seems like the Gobi desert is an exciting place for energy research these days. While Ivanpah is now closing in the US, the Chinese just opened this peak shaving CSP plant:
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
April 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Seems like the Gobi desert is an exciting place for energy research these days. While Ivanpah is now closing in the US, the Chinese just opened this peak shaving CSP plant:
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
Agreed. Of course the same applies to Thorium reactors as well.
Having said that, if the Chinese numbers hold up, we are looking at some pretty cheap CSP, with concrete plans how to reach levelized cost in the $5 cent/KWh hour range by 2030 in China. Not bad for green dispatchable power.
Having said that, if the Chinese numbers hold up, we are looking at some pretty cheap CSP, with concrete plans how to reach levelized cost in the $5 cent/KWh hour range by 2030 in China. Not bad for green dispatchable power.
April 22, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Agreed. Of course the same applies to Thorium reactors as well.
Having said that, if the Chinese numbers hold up, we are looking at some pretty cheap CSP, with concrete plans how to reach levelized cost in the $5 cent/KWh hour range by 2030 in China. Not bad for green dispatchable power.
Having said that, if the Chinese numbers hold up, we are looking at some pretty cheap CSP, with concrete plans how to reach levelized cost in the $5 cent/KWh hour range by 2030 in China. Not bad for green dispatchable power.
warum war 2024 so "schlecht"? @plehmann.bsky.social
April 22, 2025 at 8:12 AM
warum war 2024 so "schlecht"? @plehmann.bsky.social
In the US, Crescent Dunes has this capability. And after several years, the project now seems to run more or less well; if you believe this anonymous engineer, Groupo ACS is actually making some money with it:
www.solarpaces.org/what-happene...
www.solarpaces.org/what-happene...
What happened with Crescent Dunes?
The trailblazing Crescent Dunes CSP project is operating again under new owners - this time just delivering solar for night
www.solarpaces.org
April 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
In the US, Crescent Dunes has this capability. And after several years, the project now seems to run more or less well; if you believe this anonymous engineer, Groupo ACS is actually making some money with it:
www.solarpaces.org/what-happene...
www.solarpaces.org/what-happene...
it produces power when PV can't. Fundamentally different than Ivanpah, that didn't include storage.
April 21, 2025 at 4:50 PM
it produces power when PV can't. Fundamentally different than Ivanpah, that didn't include storage.
They seem to have some good molten-salt engineers over there.
April 21, 2025 at 3:54 PM
They seem to have some good molten-salt engineers over there.
Seems like the Gobi desert is an exciting place for energy research these days. While Ivanpah is now closing in the US, the Chinese just opened this peak shaving CSP plant:
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
April 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Seems like the Gobi desert is an exciting place for energy research these days. While Ivanpah is now closing in the US, the Chinese just opened this peak shaving CSP plant:
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
110MW CSP with 8 h of storage + 640 MW PV for on average $1000/kW.
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/12/18/s...
Which would be Péter? I just observed that 3/4 candidates are named some variation of Peter.
Even though the first pope was Peter, the name seems to be out of fashion for popes these days.
Even though the first pope was Peter, the name seems to be out of fashion for popes these days.
April 21, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Which would be Péter? I just observed that 3/4 candidates are named some variation of Peter.
Even though the first pope was Peter, the name seems to be out of fashion for popes these days.
Even though the first pope was Peter, the name seems to be out of fashion for popes these days.