Juice From Concentrate

The report argues that Concentrating Solar Thermal power (CST) is a viable large-scale, zero-carbon alternative to coal-fired power, particularly when combined with thermal storage to meet baseload demand. While currently more expensive than coal, costs are expected to decline through technology learning, R&D in materials and optical design, and economies of scale from larger plants. The document highlights that a carbon price of approximately $115 per ton of CO2 would make CST with 6 hours of storage economically competitive with coal. It emphasizes the need for stable policy support, such as feed-in tariffs, to bridge the current cost gap and calls for increased deployment in rapidly developing economies like China and India to alter their emissions trajectories. Additionally, the report notes that widespread CST adoption requires improved transmission infrastructure, specifically federal coordination in the U.S. and links between the EU and North Africa.

• CST can provide baseload power and operate after sunset when integrated with storage systems, which also buffer against cloudy periods and cover peak loads.
• CST is currently more expensive than coal, requiring a carbon price of roughly $115 per ton of CO2 for a plant with 6 hours of storage to be economically competitive.
• Cost reductions for CST are expected through R&D in heat fluids, mirrors, optical design, and storage materials, as well as by increasing plant size to an optimal turbine size of 150 to 250 MW for parabolic troughs.
• Current policy incentives vary in effectiveness; Spain's feed-in tariff is cited as the most generous, while U.S. tax credits have been less effective due to uncertain renewal cycles.
• Rapidly developing countries, specifically China and India, represent critical opportunities for CST deployment to limit the expansion of coal-fired generation.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Juice From Concentrate. https://www.wri.org/research/juice-concentrate

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Juice From Concentrate. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/juice-concentrate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Juice From Concentrate |url=https://www.wri.org/research/juice-concentrate |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendjuice, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Juice From Concentrate}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/juice-concentrate}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }