Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center
Encyclopedia
The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a hybrid 75-megawatt (MW) parabolic trough solar energy plant, built by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).
The solar plant is a component of the 3,705 MW Martin County Power Plant, which is currently the single largest fossil fuel
burning power plant in the United States.
It is located in western Martin County
, Florida
, just north of Indiantown
.
The Solar Energy Center has an array of approximately 180,000-mirror parabolic trough
s on about 500 acres (202.3 ha) of the Martin County plant.
The solar collectors will feed heat to the existing steam plant, generating electricity at a rate of 155,000 MW·h per year (an average of 18 MW).
Lauren Engineers & Constructors
(Abilene, TX) was the EPC
contractor for the project.
Construction began in 2008 and was completed by the end of 2010.
FPL expects the $476 million
solar plant to reduce the combined-cycle power plant's natural gas
consumption by 1.3 billion cubic feet (37 billion m³) per year.
Over the 30-year life of the project, this is expected to save $178 million in fuel cost and reduce carbon emissions by 2.75 million tons.
The solar plant is a component of the 3,705 MW Martin County Power Plant, which is currently the single largest fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
burning power plant in the United States.
It is located in western Martin County
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, just north of Indiantown
Indiantown, Florida
Indiantown is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,588 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
The Solar Energy Center has an array of approximately 180,000-mirror parabolic trough
Parabolic trough
A parabolic trough is a type of solar thermal energy collector. It is constructed as a long parabolic mirror with a Dewar tube running its length at the focal point. Sunlight is reflected by the mirror and concentrated on the Dewar tube...
s on about 500 acres (202.3 ha) of the Martin County plant.
The solar collectors will feed heat to the existing steam plant, generating electricity at a rate of 155,000 MW·h per year (an average of 18 MW).
Lauren Engineers & Constructors
Lauren Engineers & Constructors
Lauren Engineers & Constructors is a North American Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractor based in Abilene, Texas. The company specializes in industrial and heavy construction projects in the power, polymers, chemicals, refining, and specialty metals markets in the U.S. and Canada...
(Abilene, TX) was the EPC
EPC (contract)
EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement and Construction.It is a common form of contracting arrangement within the construction industry. Under an EPC contract, the contractor will design the installation, procure the necessary materials and construct it, either through own labour or by...
contractor for the project.
Construction began in 2008 and was completed by the end of 2010.
FPL expects the $476 million
solar plant to reduce the combined-cycle power plant's natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
consumption by 1.3 billion cubic feet (37 billion m³) per year.
Over the 30-year life of the project, this is expected to save $178 million in fuel cost and reduce carbon emissions by 2.75 million tons.
See also
- List of concentrating solar thermal power companies
- List of photovoltaic power stations
- List of solar thermal power stations
- Renewable energy in the United StatesRenewable energy in the United StatesRenewable energy accounted for 14.3 percent of the domestically produced electricity in the United States in the first six months of 2011. Hydroelectricity is the largest producer of renewable power in the United States. In 2009, the U.S...
- Renewable portfolio standardRenewable Portfolio StandardA Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
- Solar power in the United StatesSolar power in the United StatesSolar power in the United States is an area of considerable activity and there are many utility-scale solar power plants. The largest solar power installation in the world is the Solar Energy Generating Systems facility in California, which has a total capacity of 354 megawatts...