IEC 62862-3-1:2022

Overview

IEC 62862-3-1:2022 - Solar thermal electric plants: General requirements for the design of parabolic-trough solar thermal power plants provides high-level design requirements for parabolic-trough solar thermal power plants that use a steam turbine. The standard covers design considerations for new builds, plant expansions and rebuilds and addresses the full plant system from solar field to power block, including safety and environmental aspects.

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard sets out general requirements across technical domains, including:

• Electric power system: grid connection, relay protection, dispatch automation, metering and communications.
• Solar resource assessment & site selection: solar irradiance evaluation, siting constraints and overall planning for optimal plant performance.
• Collector system: parabolic trough collectors, tracking/driving systems and layout of the solar field.
• Heat transfer system (HTF): HTF storage, filling, ullage and anti-freeze provisions.
• Thermal energy storage (TES): storage medium systems, heat-transfer interfaces and auxiliary components.
• Steam generation & turbine systems: steam generation equipment, live steam, feedwater, condensate and turbine auxiliaries.
• Power block and plant layout: integration of solar field, HTF piping, storage, steam generation and turbine hall.
• Electrical equipment & systems: generator, transformers, AC/DC auxiliaries, protection and grounding.
• Water treatment: pretreatment, demineralization, condensate polishing and wastewater handling.
• Instrumentation, control & automation: control architecture, measurement, alarming and protection strategies.
• Auxiliary systems & safety: auxiliary fuel, maintenance facilities, health, safety and protection measures.

Practical applications and users

IEC 62862-3-1:2022 is valuable for:

• Design and engineering teams (EPC contractors, consulting engineers) preparing plant design basis and specifications.
• Project developers and owners assessing site feasibility and specifying performance requirements.
• Operation & maintenance teams using the standard for safe operation, control strategies and water/HTF handling procedures.
• Regulators, utilities and certification bodies reviewing compliance and safety measures.
• Procurement teams writing technical tender documents for collectors, HTF systems, TES and steam turbine components.

Typical uses include preparing design specifications, creating layout and piping plans, defining instrumentation and control requirements, and ensuring health & safety and grid-integration compliance.

Related standards

• Part of the IEC 62862 series developed by IEC TC 117 (Solar thermal electric plants). Users should consult other parts of the series and the normative references listed in IEC 62862-3-1:2022 for detailed component standards and the latest amendments.