Ivanpah Feels The Burn -- May 22, 2016: Question: If Your Power Plant Is One-Third Solar, Two-Thirds Natural Gas, Are You Still A Solar Plant? Sort Of Like Starbucks Milk Drinks With A Bit Of Coffee Added

Updates

August 24, 2016: commentary, by Outrun Change. 

Later, 1:19 p.m. Central Time: this could be the tipping point requiring the Ivanpah file for "cap and trade" status -- performing at only 1/3rd capacity and back up required by natural gas, certainly we're at that stay now. Like forbearance agreements, however, "cap and trade" may be confidential issues for the solar plant. See first comment. The Ivanpah "cap and trade" issue was mentioned at this post back in November, 2015.

Original Post

 

I've blogged often about the solar science project at Ivanpah in California. This link was sent to me by a reader, thank you: world's largest solar power plant catches fire due to own mirrors less than a year After torching hudreds of birds. Inquisitr is reporting:

On Thursday, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, which is the world’s largest solar thermal power station, reported that a small fire had broken out at the facility. The fire caused the plant to shut down one of its electricity-generating water towers and left the high-tech facility crippled, only operating at one-third capacity.

Officials from the plant are now saying that the blame for the fire can be placed on misaligned mirrors.

The $2.2 billion station is operated by a consortium, which includes BrightSource Energy, NRG Energy, and Google, and has taxpayer-guaranteed loans valued at over $1.6 billion. The three 459-foot water towers are the focus of over 350,000 computer controlled mirrors – as “big as garage doors” – reflecting sunlight onto them.

This concentrated solar exposure creates a tremendous amount of heat, which in turn creates the steam which is necessary to turns the turbines in order to produce electricity. The plant in California, which is the largest of its kind in the world, features a gross capacity of 392 megawatts, enough power to give energy to about 140,000 homes.

It's not a parody or a joke, although I wondered at first. Popular Science also has the story, calling it a "small inferno."

I read the LA Times headlines everyday online but I never saw the headline until googling it now, but the LA Times did report it saying that only one of three towers is currently operating, with the fire shutting down one and another undergoing maintenance.

I track the Ivanpah links here.