MicroCSP goes big
The plant will have a thermal storage so it can produce electricity also in the evening when consumption peaks.
Solar Thermal
Siemens tests salt receivers in Portugal
The advantage of liquid salt is that it can tolerate higher temperatures than the thermal oil typically used. Up to now, parabolic trough power stations have been limited to receiver temperatures under 400° C because of the oil. The ideal working temperature of a steam turbine, however, is around 550° C.
Support levels increased in German market incentive programme
The basic support for solar collectors for combined hot water generation and room heating thus rises for a limited period up to December 30, 2011 to 120 €/m2 of collector area. After this it returns to 90 €/m2.
Funding for 50 MW Guzmán CSP plant closed
Total cost for the project is € 272 million. The plant near the City Palma del Río in Córdoba, Spain, is expected to start operation in December 2012. Palma del Río is among the top ten cities in Europe in terms of solar irradiation. The region also offers water and gas supply, as well as suitable power offtake structures.
Gemasolar power tower commissioned
Other plants like PS10 and PS20 in Spain or Sierra Solar in the US are using steam as heat transfer medium. With salt as HTF, Torresol is able to fill the heat storage tanks directly with salt. In other solar thermal power plants the HTFs are filling the storage via a heat exchanger, which involves some heat loss.
Micro CSP in Thailand
The plant is to be built in Bau Yai in the Nakorn Ratchasima Province and will provide electricity to the Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand (PEA) in 2012. Additionally Sopogy granted MAI Development exclusive distribution rights for its MicroCSP system in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Foster Wheeler to deliver two steam generators
The first steam generator will go to the La Africana plant near Fuente Palmera in the region of Cordoba. La Africana is being built by the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractor UTE Africa Solar. According to the contract with UTE Africa Solar, Foster Wheeler will deliver feedwater heaters, preheaters, evaporators, superheaters and reheaters in the second quarter of 2012.
Photovoltaic Feed