CTP Awarded Multi-Year DOE Contract to Develop Gen 3 Silicon Carbide Composite Concentrated Solar Power Receiver


Ceramic Tubular Products, LLC (CTP) (www.ctp-usa.com), a leader in the development of high temperature ceramic matrix composites, announced today that it has been awarded a multi-million, multi-year Assistance Agreement from the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the development of a high temperature Silicon Carbide Composite Receiver as part of DOE’s Gen 3 Concentrated Solar Power program.

“In order for DOE’s Generation 3 (Gen 3) Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) program to achieve its goal of producing electric power at costs below current fossil power plants, solar receiver temperatures above 700 to 800 C are needed” Jeff Halfinger, CEO stated. “CTP has already developed a unique multilayer silicon carbide tube with non-brittle behavior at temperatures up to 1000 C for use as Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuel.” He added, “With this award we continue our commitment to a clean energy future by investing in the technologies which will enable renewable energy generation at affordable prices.”

“Recent tests at Sandia have shown superior properties of CTPs’ tube materials at Gen 3 operating conditions, including low corrosion in 750 C molten chloride salt, and excellent thermal and mechanical shock resistance and solar absorptance” added Mr. Herb Feinroth, Sr. Vice President and co-owner of CTP. “Our objective in this project is to develop the needed manufacturing technologies required to apply these multilayer ceramic tubes to a complete CSP receiver assembly, including needed flow headers and piping, and joining technologies, and thereby enable future application of this high-temperature ceramic tube material to Gen 3 CSP plants.”

CTP is a privately owned company, located in Lynchburg, VA and dedicated to developing advanced high-temperature ceramics composites for use in solar, nuclear, industrial and aerospace applications.