Solar thermal power plants will play an important role in the global energy supply of the future. Studies have shown that by 2050, approx. 15 % of Europe’s electricity needs could be met by solar power plants in North Africa and the Middle East. The storage capacity of these power plants offers a significant advantage in the energy mix of the future since it can provide a buffer for other renewable energies subject to more fluctuation such as PV or wind. Imperative for this are an appropriate grid infrastructure for the transport of electricity as well as clearly defined regulations for supplying public electricity grids. Established in 2009 through the cooperation of numerous, large-scale German companies, the Desertec Industrial Initiative has the goal of bringing about the implementation of this concept.

The German government has been promoting the development of solar thermal power plants for several years. Currently, the direct generation of steam in parabolic trough collectors, solar gas turbines and various methods of storage are being further developed in Germany, with research being undertaken into efficient methods of combining solar thermal systems with conventional power plants. Work on fast, optical quality control of reflector systems is also playing an important role in global power plant projects.

A technical variation still under development is the creation of solar thermal power plants without the concentration of direct solar radiation. In what is known as a solar chimney power plant, air is heated by direct solar radiation beneath a large roofed area, which has an airtight connection to a chimney situated at its centre. The heated air flows upwards through the chimney via air ducts at its base. This current drives one or more wind turbines and the connected generator, which then converts kinetic energy into electrical energy.