A Sensitivity Analysis of the High-Temperature Solar Pretreatment of Calcite-Rich Manganese Ores

The modelling of high-temperature direct solar thermal treatment of manganese ores found that a heliostat field and tower process rated at 2.5 MWth will treat roughly ten thousand tons of material annually, producing calcined products of consistent grade. This paper looks at a sensitivity analysis of the results when changing the solar irradiance and financial parameters. The sensitivity analysis shows that a 10% decrease in solar irradiance increases the levelised cost of heat by 5% while decreasing the production by 5%. The levelised cost of heat (LCOH) was most influenced by the cost of the heliostat field as the largest component of capital expenditure. Changes in the interest rate also have a significant impact on the levelised costs of the pretreatment.