The 50 MW Anantapur District solar thermal power plant will use heat temperature fluids from Radco Industries, Batavia, Ill., for its concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. The plant is one of the first in south India and is part of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which has a goal of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022.

The plant uses parabolic trough technology that incorporates a series of reflective mirrors designed in the form of parabolic troughs with a thin pipe running along the focal point. Sun energy from the mirror surfaces is then directed to the thin pipes.

Radco Industries’ Xceltherm MK1 heat transfer fluid runs through the pipes and absorbs the heat energy. The fluid gets heated to a temperature of up to 752°F (400°C). Upon pumping, the heat transfer fluid reaches the heat exchanger, where the accumulated heat transfers to water running around the pipes. At these high heat conditions, water converts to steam, rotating the turbines and producing electricity.

The recently commissioned plant is one of two utility-scale CSP projects completed in India. At full capacity, the Anantapur District plant is expected to produce annually 110 million units of electricity.