Progress and Prospects of TES for Central Receiver-Based CSP Plants

This review categorizes the thermal energy storage (TES) technologies—sensible heat, latent heat, and thermochemical storage—and evaluates their development, application, and performance within central receiver-based concentrated solar power plants. This study explores the progression of TES systems, delineating the evolution from technologies such as saturated steam and molten salt, first used in the Eurelios power plant in 1980 as a protective storage solution for 30 minutes, to commercial molten salt storage capacities of up to 15 hours. This study also examines emerging research and development technologies aimed at achieving higher efficiencies and operating temperatures. The objective is to identify technological trends, assess the efficacy of different TES systems, and highlight future directions for research and application.