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Parabolic trough solar thermal power plants are a proven technology in the utility scale since mid of the eighties. Between 1984 and 1991 nine power plants with an overall capacity of 354 MW have been installed in the Mojave Desert in California. Since, these power plants can be equipped with a thermal storage or a fossil back-up they offer a fully dispatchable electricity generation capacity. This technology will be a very interesting near term option for countries with high solar irradiation levels and small resources of fossil fuels like Jordan.

This paper, discusses the use of parabolic trough solar thermal power plants for electricity production under Jordanian climate for two different sites (Amman, and Ma’an). An analysis of the daily power output, direct normal irradiation and the efficiency for the two sites has been carried out. The results showed that Ma’an site would be preferred than Amman site, so that it is recommended to erect the Parabolic Trough Concentrator (PTC) plant in the southern region of Jordan.

Also this study aims to encourage the Jordanian government and the private sector to implement the solar thermal power plants for future expansion of power sector due to the increasing electricity demand and environmental degradation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.